In January, Copabanana, the iconic burger and margarita restaurant that has stood at Fourth and South Street in Philadelphia for 45 years, started a GoFundMe campaign to help pay its bills, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The long-standing eatery, with its funky green and blue palm tree facade, was buried in debt — the latest in a series of financial problems.“Copa needs help,” wrote co-owner Nick Ventura in a lengthy plea for donations. He laid blame for the restaurant’s struggles on the pandemic, the unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd, and the 2022 mass shooting nearby. He said the restaurant needed help with everything from past-due rent, mortgage and loan payments to growing medical expenses for Copabanana’s ailing founder, Bill Curry, who is confined to his home. Despite the emotional plea, the restaurant fell far short of its $250,000 goal, raising only $165. Now, in a final effort to avoid eviction, Copabanana, one of the few South Street businesses that can trace its roots to the street’s bohemian renaissance, has filed for chapter 11 protection. It is the third time that the restaurant has filed bankruptcy in the last decade.
