Restaurant survival tactics; Toy car world record attempt; Colon cancer screenings

#BILLYPENNGRAM OF THE DAY

Flight paths, above and on the ground
(Photo by @t.do__)

How Philly restaurants are surviving as costs rise

In 2025, 86 Philadelphia-area restaurants and bars closed. This year, from January to June 39 restaurants closed within Philadelphia. Rising fuel and meat costs, coupled with customers cutting back on eating out have made business difficult.

From scaling down to lunch deals and pay-what-you-can days, citywide, restaurants are finding new ways to innovate and scrape by. Continue reading…

Marti Lieberman, founder of Mac Mart hands out a meal from her kiosk in Center City. (Davis Cuffe/Billy Penn)

Philly to Niagara Falls … in a toy car?

Cassie Aran and Lauren Lee, two best friends from Tampa, Florida, are attempting to set a Guinness world record so unique it has only been attempted once before — by them.

The pair of content creators are currently trying to trek roughly 700 miles across the eastern U.S., each driving a toy car and raising funds to help people struggling with their mental health. Continue reading…

Social media influencers Cassie Aran (left) and Laura Lee pose on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge during their Guinness World Record attempt to drive toy cars from Philadelphia to Niagara Falls. (Courtesy of Cassie Aran)

BP Quizzo Question of the Day

On what government body did Philadelphia civil rights activist Cecil B. Moore once serve?

A voter shows off their election sticker in Philadelphia on November 4, 2025. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

BP Procrastinator’s Guide 2026

Pa. law doesn’t regulate AI-generated candidates in election ads, but some hope to change that. [Capital-Star]
Election 2026: Where do Philly-area congressional candidates stand on the arts? [WHYY]
Election 2026: What Philly voters should know about the city’s 2 ballot questions [WHYY]
Sorting fact from fear: ICE at the polls, DOJ election monitors in Pa. and other Election Day concerns [WHYY]

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• New Pa. insurance law guarantees no-cost colon cancer screenings starting at age 45 instead of 50. [WHYY]

• Where Pennsylvania’s major data center projects stand now. [Technical.ly]

• Clocks turned back this weekend; Here is how you can avoid the seasonal blues. [Billy Penn]

• Philadelphia City Councilmembers urge Mayor Parker to prevent school closures. [Chalkbeat]

• Nike releases Philly-inspired Air Force 1 sneakers to welcome LeBron James to Sixers. [PhillyVoice]

• Philadelphia celebrates Día de los Muertos with thousands joining in procession. [WHYY]

MAYOR WATCH

Mayor Parker has no public events scheduled for Monday.

Last week, the Philadelphia Office of Sustainability (OOS) launched the Community Climate Resilience Toolkit, an online resource that helps Philadelphia neighborhoods prepare for and recover from extreme weather made worse by climate change. The toolkit is available at tinyurl.com/phlclimatetoolkit.

Highlights from Billy Penn’s City Guide

Philly’s vegan scene still has plenty on its plate
While data shows fewer plant-based eateries around the U.S. in recent years, Philly’s vegan restaurants are still vibrant.
Philly’s Francisville section follows its own angle
Along Ridge Avenue’s diagonal, new construction is reshaping the neighborhood. Shared gardens, a family church and neighbors who show up for one another help keep it grounded.

ON THE CALENDAR

Native Plant Prep Party (Monday),
$5 Comedy Showcase at Plays & Players (Tuesday),
Pop-Up Omakase (Tuesday),
AND MORE!

See the **FULL LIST** of this week’s events calendar at BillyPenn.com!