We opened our shop in Squirrel Hill in May of 2010. We didn’t seek growth into Pittsburgh; Pittsburgh came looking for us. We weren’t sure we could make it work when a wholesale client approached us with the opportunity to use the space. Thankfully at that time, a friend needed full-time work and with the help of a few more friends (and Andre, Phil, and Brad) we had an address in Pittsburgh.
Being in Pittsburgh was an exciting new prospect for us. We had wholesale clients in the city who would make the trip to our flagship location in Indiana (Pennsylvania) for training at our roastery. Suddenly, we were close to them, and opportunities we had not dreamed of before opened up. We employed more people, grew our wholesale program, and made friends and connections in the city.
It was also our first store front. Those who have visited our Indiana shop are familiar with how it is tucked away and hidden from street view. The Squirrel Hill shop sits on Forbes Avenue, a busy street within a tight-knit community.