At 25th & Spruce, Small World Seafood Creates Big Community Spirit
By Jensen Toussaint
Every Friday morning at 11 AM, a line of eager customers stretches down the block at 25th & Spruce streets in Fitler Square.
They're waiting for Robert Amar's Small World Seafood truck, which has become a neighborhood institution, bringing restaurant-quality seafood directly to local residents.
These weekly visits to Fitler Square “connects us to the community," says Amar, whose poetic weekly newsletters have become almost as anticipated as his fresh catch.
Seafood Philosophy
For Amar, selling fish is about more than commerce – it's about connection. “Anyone who knows me knows that I have a tendency to search for meaning in things. Or, more precisely, searching meaningful things," he writes in a recent newsletter. This philosophical approach shapes everything from his sourcing to his customer service.
"We all share the spiritual need to be more connected," he muses, before transitioning seamlessly to his weekly offerings: "Anyway, onto fish! … We love our fresh albacore around here. Ruby to cream in color, it is the smallest of the tunas but with a high fat content so the texture is creamier."
Amar blends humor and education into his weekly menu, explaining where his products come from and how they fit into the global ecosystem. “Our weather may be cooling down,” he wrote last month, “but the Southern hemisphere begins to warm up. So, many of the first boats have landed with Chilean seabass!!!
In the “northern hemisphere,” he explains, “North atlantic cod is starting to descend downward toward Iceland as the waters warm some. And where there is cod, there are cod cheeks!!! Let's go!!!”
Culinary Journey
The road to becoming a Fitler Square fishmonger wasn't a straight line for Amar, a Montreal native with more than 25 years of experience in Philadelphia's culinary scene.
His journey included stints opening restaurants with James Beard Award winner Stephen Starr — including Buddakan, Morimoto, Tangerine, and Alma de Cuba — and running his own gourmet hot dog shop before finding his calling in seafood.
When Amar started a wholesale business selling fresh seafood to restaurants, his goals were to help businesses reduce waste and increase profits.
“Because I was in the [restaurant] business, I knew what their frustrations were,” he said.
Pandemic Pivot
But it was the COVID-19 pandemic that transformed Small World Seafood from a wholesale business into the community-centered operation it is today.
When Philadelphia shut down on March 16, 2020, Amar found himself with a truck full of seafood and no restaurants to sell to. His solution? He reached out to his neighbors.
"I sent an email to my block up in Fairmount, and said, 'Hey, listen, I've got a bunch of seafood that I can't sell to restaurants. I've got some salmon, some scallops, some mussels, and a couple of other things,'" Amar recalled in an interview.
About 10 people responded to the email. When Amar gave them the seafood, they were amazed at the quality and quickly clamored for more.
Community Catch
Amar soon evolved the enterprise into a thriving direct-to-consumer business. Today, Small World Seafood operates at stops throughout Philadelphia, including Fairmount, Rittenhouse Square, and Washington Square. But its Fitler Square location remains a cornerstone of the operation.
His weekly newsletters reflect this community-first approach, blending updates about fresh catch with gentle reminders to savor life: "Well, here's to a fun week!!! Seize it! Grab it! Enjoy it! (It won't last forever...)"
To Amar, everyone who visits his truck is more than just a customer — they're neighbors. It's this philosophy that has made Small World Seafood not just a successful business, but a vital part of Fitler Square's community fabric.
Learn more and sign up for his weekly newsletter/menu at his website.
From the Community
Can’t wait to get an order in
Bob is a true community builder and helps us to eat more healthily!