When Francesca Galarus and Nicholas Ducos set out to open Philadelphia’s first urban winery, their goal went far beyond winemaking. They envisioned a community hub rooted in local agriculture, art, and connection.
Founded in 2021, Mural City Cellars was born from that vision. After years working in hospitality, the pair saw an opportunity to bring a new kind of wine experience to Philadelphia—one that broke down traditional barriers and invited people to engage with wine in a more approachable way.
“Nicholas and I have always had a passion for hospitality,” Galarus shared. “We wanted to open something different, a wine experience that feels casual, accessible, and welcoming, right in the heart of the city.”
Ducos, a certified sommelier and graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, spent years running beverage programs before pursuing harvests in Napa and New Zealand to deepen his knowledge of winemaking. Galarus built her own hospitality career working with renowned restaurant groups from Stephen Starr restaurants to Tao Group in New York City. The two met while working in Miami’s restaurant industry, eventually bringing their shared vision back to Galarus’s hometown of Philadelphia.
Turning a Vision into Reality with Support from PIDC
Galarus and Ducos began laying the groundwork for what would become Mural City Cellars in 2017. Ducos connected with regional grape growers while the pair searched for a permanent location that could bring their vision to life.
That journey culminated in one of the company’s proudest milestones: opening its flagship location at 1831 Frankford Avenue. “The first time we walked by, Nicholas said ‘this would be a great place for our winery’ and my response was a sarcastic ‘sure, if we could ever afford it!’” Galarus recalled. “When we finally took possession of this converted auto body garage on a busy Fishtown corner, I cried.”
Galarus credits PIDC, and especially Senior Loan Officer Carmel Deane, with helping make the dream a reality. “All of [this] was possible because of Carmel at PIDC. She helped us navigate a $150,000 loan to be able to build out our flagship location. We had never fathomed borrowing that much money and she helped us through the entire process. On top of that, she is a neighbor and winery guest and I love having that personal connection with her.”
Growing Through Community
Mural City Cellars has seen tremendous growth. “We’ve grown Mural City from 500 to over 5,000 cases of wine a year,” Galarus said. “What started as a two-person operation in my mom’s garage is now a team of almost 15, operating out of a 3,000 square foot wine bar, bottle shop, and production facility.” Since opening, Mural City Cellars has remained committed to sourcing grapes from small local farms, producing wines with minimal intervention, and featuring local artists on its labels. Today, the winery, bar, and bottle shop offers everything from wine flights to bottles-to-go, along with views into the production space itself.
While production has scaled, the business remains grounded in its community-first mission. The team takes pride in creating memorable experiences for every guest, whether it’s welcoming a new neighbor with a complimentary bottle of wine or inviting visitors into the tank room to sample a wine mid-fermentation.
Mural City Cellars’ commitment to community extends beyond the tasting room. As residents, business owners, and parents in the neighborhood, Galarus and Ducos have built the winery around creating meaningful connections with the people and places around them.
“We’re deeply rooted in this neighborhood—we live, work and run our business here, so we see our guests at the coffee shop in the morning and at the playground with our daughter,” said Galarus. “We donate $1 from the sale of each of our House Wines back to local neighborhood initiatives, having donated over $50,000 since we began.”
Mural City hosts programming ranging from drag nights and Full Moon Fêtes to family-friendly seasonal events like Autumn in the Garden. The team also operates a wine garden at the nearby NKCDC Garden Center on Fridays and Saturdays and has cultivated a 500-plus-member wine club built around personal relationships and in-person pickup experiences.
Philadelphia’s collaborative food and beverage ecosystem has also played a major role in the winery’s growth. Galarus credits partnerships with local restaurants, food vendors, breweries, and fellow hospitality leaders for helping Mural City expand its reach while staying deeply embedded in the city’s small business community. “Being part of Philly’s small food and beverage business community has been one of the most rewarding aspects of running our company,” she said.
Looking Towards the Future
Looking ahead, Mural City Cellars is preparing for another exciting chapter. The team is currently working with PIDC once again to secure a loan for real estate acquisition that would allow the winery to establish a permanent footprint in Philadelphia while expanding production and event offerings.
Most recently, the winery participated in Boost Your Business, a program from the Department of Commerce in partnership with PIDC, receiving a $50,000 forgivable loan along with year-long technical assistance and coaching. “We got 1:1 time with Marla, [Senior Vice President, Client Engagement & Business Support at PIDC] which we called business therapy,” Galarus said. “She somehow always knew what we needed and told us what we needed to hear.”
That support helped the team sharpen its focus on profitability, strengthen financial planning, and connect with new professional resources to support long-term sustainability. Note: Another round of applications for the Boost Your Business program opens July 1, 2026
For Galarus, though, some of the best moments still happen in the quiet everyday routines that inspired the business in the first place. When asked about her favorite wine, she pointed to a familiar staple: “I’ll forever be a fan of our 2024 Pinot Gris,” she said. “The grapes grew in the Lehigh Valley and it’s got this beautiful palate of stone fruit and some floral notes. Before dinner, Nicholas and I like to open a bottle to enjoy on our front stoop while our 4 year old scoots down the block.”
Photos courtesy of Mural City Cellars.
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PIDC (“PIDC”, “we”, “our” or “us”) respects the privacy of its users (“User(s)” or “you”). This Privacy Policy is to inform you what information we collect when you visit our website(s) at https://navyyard.org/ and any additional websites owned and operated by the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development (“PAID”) at the PIDC (the “Site”) and when you use our downloadable mobile application (the “App”) and related public transportation information and additional services (collectively referred to as the “Service”). Capitalized terms which are not defined herein, shall have the meaning ascribed to them in our Terms of Use available at https://navyyard.org/ which this Privacy Policy is incorporated thereto by reference (together, the “Terms”).
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INFORMATION WE MAY COLLECT
We may collect two types of data and information from our Users. The first type of information is nonidentifiable and anonymous information (“Non-Personal Information”). We are not aware of the identity of the User from which we have collected only the Non-Personal Information. Non-Personal Information which is being gathered consists of technical information and behavioral data regarding the activity of the User on the Service, operation system and browser, type of mobile device, and operating system version and settings, User’s screen resolution, duration of usage of the Service, User’s ‘clickstream’ on the Site, keyboard language, etc.
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The geo-location information we collect includes detailed location and route information, including GPS signals and other information sent by your mobile device for which the Service is installed and currently activated. We use this location and route information to create a detailed location history all of public transit trips.
We collect such information via your use of the Service and through information which you voluntarily provide and/or upload to the Service as further described in this Privacy Policy below, for purposes of providing the Service, enhancing the User’s experience and personalizing the Service and security purposes as further detailed below and.
If you choose to use the Services via a User Account you may create such User Account via Facebook Connect, Google Sign-In, personal Email address or other social networks. If you choose to use your social media network accounts then we may also have access to your public profile, which includes your name, gender, profile picture, age group and residency.
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HOW WE COLLECT INFORMATION ON OUR USERS
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HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION
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THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE/SERVICE
While using the Service we may be using third party software and/or service for various needs, inter alia, in order to collect and/or process the information detailed herein (the “Third Party Service Provider”). Note that these are independent software and/or service providers and we do not take any liability about the information collection policies of these providers, or about any kind of issue, legal or otherwise, relating thereto. Third Party Service Provider’s includes the following:
Facebook, which privacy policy is available at https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/ (for purposes of FB Connect and use of developer tools such as FB Analytics offered by FB via the FB SDK)
Token Transit, which privacy policy is available here.
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DIRECT MARKETING
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We take a great care in implementing and maintaining the security of PIDC’s Service and its User’s Personal Information. PIDC employs industry standard procedures and policies to ensure the safety of its Users’ Personal Information, and prevent unauthorized use of any such information. We cannot, however, guarantee that unauthorized access will never occur.
CHANGES TO THE PRIVACY POLICY
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