In 2011, when Sam Mink and Anthony Padilla bought the loft where characters played by Tom Hanks and Antonio Banderas had lived in the 1993 movie “Philadelphia,” there were many things they liked about the space.

“We were totally wowed,” said Mr. Mink, 49, an owner of the Philadelphia restaurants Oyster House and Mission Taqueria. “It had a roof deck and open floor plan,” plus a ceiling that rose to 16 feet.

“It was in a great location,” added Mr. Padilla, 48, a former paralegal who more recently worked as a bookkeeper for Mr. Mink’s business. The building was near grocery stores and restaurants, and came with a prized off-street parking spot.

Although the apartment had been changed by previous owners, its Hollywood pedigree provided a neat back story to share with friends. “You could still see the remnants of the movie inside the place,” Mr. Padilla said, including a wood-burning stove that appeared on-screen.

When the couple bought the unit for $630,000, it seemed to have all the space they needed — about 2,000 square feet, with a mezzanine holding two bedrooms. But in 2014, they had a son via surrogacy and realized the home wasn’t ideal for young children.