When Seiko Dailey and husband Pat opened their Japanese market in downtown Narberth 10 years ago, they chose the name Maido! The word, a greeting in western Japan, translates to “Nice to see you again!”
Soon, the couple will be saying “Maido!” to loyal and new customers in a new location. They recently signed a lease for a larger space in nearby Ardmore, and will be moving the business to the new store later this fall.
The address is 3-5 E. Lancaster Ave. The double storefront is located at the corner of Lancaster and Anderson avenues, in the building still known to many locally as the Liberty Travel building.
Timing of the move is still a little uncertain, depending upon renovations, Pat Dailey said in an interview this week, but will come before the end of 2013.
In January, Dailey had confirmed that he and his wife would be looking for a new location as their lease at 36 N. Narberth Ave. was due to expire by May. Maido! has been on a month-to-month lease arrangement since then, he said.
At the time, Dailey said they wanted to find a new space within a short distance that might also allow room to expand the market’s popular lunch counter, where Seiko serves traditional Japanese meals.
Proximity was important because Maido!, the only Japanese-owned market in the greater Philadelphia area, works closely with the Japanese Language School of Philadelphia. The school holds classes on Saturdays at Friends Central School on City Avenue in Wynnewood. Many families shop at Maido!, and the store runs a shuttle bus from the school and other locations.
Pat Dailey said in looking for a new location, Ardmore was ideal. “So many families [from the Japanese School] live out in Gladwyne and Bryn Mawr. It’s on their way,” he said. And, he said, the Ardmore business community, beginning with Ardmore Initiative Executive Director Christine Vilardo, “has been so welcoming.”
Dailey said he was immediately interested in the 3-5 W. Lancaster storefront, but another potential tenant was lined up at the time. When that didn’t work out, he was ready to step in. “I really liked the [corner] location, with plenty of windows,” he recalled.
The Ardmore store, at about 5,400 square feet, is nearly 40 percent larger than the Narberth store, Dailey said. Currently divided into two spaces, it will be opened up again with renovations to allow room for both the market, offering Japanese foods, produce, household items and toys, and an expanded restaurant operation.
The counter area, offering seating for up to 40, or about double the seating in Narberth, will serve a similar menu, but Dailey said in Ardmore it will be open for dinner as well; the restaurant section may stay open later than the market. . “We get a lot of requests for Japanese noodle dishes” – Soba and Udon, to name some, what Dailey called “Japanese comfort food.” “The new space will accommodate those requests,” he said.
Plans for changes at the Ardmore store are still in progress, but Dailey said his instructions to architect Moto Designshop have been, “Make it friendly, bright, open and inviting.”
Located in Ardmore’s historic business district, the site is subject to review by the Lower Merion Township Historical Architectural Review Board for exterior changes. Dailey said he had made a first visit to that panel this week, and found its members helpful and enthusiastic about the new store.
(One member did have a question: “Does it need painting?” It’s no secret that group would like to see a change from the building’s pinkish stucco to something more compatible with Lancaster Avenue’s historic streetscape.)
Needless to say, leaving Narberth will be bittersweet, both for the town and Maido!’s owners. “We’ve had a lot of success in our current location,” Dailey said.
Pat Dailey has also played a well-known and important role in the business life of the borough. Not long after Maido! opened, he stepped up to become president of the flagging Narberth Business Association, and re-energized the organization. He has also been a driving force – and perennial character – in Narberth’s phenomenally-successful annual Dickens Festival.
After the move, Dailey said he will necessarily play a smaller role there. “I’m not going to have the time that I had before” to devote, he said. But he is comfortable Narberth’s success will continue. Under the leadership of good friend Ed Ridgway, “There’s a real good team in place” to promote the festival and the business association, Dailey said, adding, “I’m not going to disappear.”
In other words, you may still find him at holiday time in Dickens garb.
Follow this reporter on Twitter @cherylmlmn.
