Inside the brand new Menagerie Espresso bar in Philadephia’s North Liberties neighborhood. All photographs courtesy of Menagerie Espresso.

After 11 years of satisfying clients with a spread of roasts in Philadelphia’s Outdated Metropolis, Menagerie Espresso lately headed north for a second brick-and-mortar cafe, within the Northern Liberties neighborhood.

In an area previously occupied by a online game retailer and e-sports venue, the brand new store options design touches that have been impressed by the proprietor’s latest journey to Albania, with rustic white oak wood beams underneath excessive ceilings, plentiful home windows and intimate seating preparations. The curvature of the bar is mirrored in curvilinear shapes all through the store.

Present proprietor April Nett and co-founder Elysa DiMauro first established Menagerie in 2013 in Outdated Metropolis. They then expanded with a espresso bar at The Bourse Meals Corridor. That location closed in 2022 after a profitable five-year run.

“When our lease ended… we knew we had one other store in us,” Nett lately advised Every day Espresso Information. “We spent the lead-up years completely surveying totally different business areas throughout the town earlier than choosing the brand new area in Northern Liberties to construct out a restaurant and bakery and roastery.”

Menagerie re-enlisted the providers of Kole Made, a design/construct agency that helped convey the primary two espresso retailers to life. This time, additionally they collaborated with structure and design agency Shiftspace to repurpose gear and supplies from The Bourse store.

The familiarity doesn’t cease there: 90% of the workers from The Bourse agreed to come back on board for the opening of the brand new store. Though DiMauro is now not a part of the group as of 2022, she stays shut with Nett to at the present time.

“I’d say that the highest two most useful features we’ve realized and proceed to convey with us are to be true to ourselves and who we’re as a collective enterprise id,” Nett mentioned. “Menagerie is and has at all times been made up of its folks: the workers, the company, the vendor-partners, the Outdated Metropolis and, now, Northern Liberties communities.”

Because it settles into its new digs, Menagerie can also be forming plans to begin roasting its personal coffees.

“Espresso persons are a few of the kindest, most fantastic folx you’ll have the pleasure of assembly within the service business,” Nett mentioned. “Probably the most bittersweet half will likely be once we transition to roasting for ourselves, the byproduct of which will likely be a lowered relationship with our superb roaster companions who’re conscious of our ambitions and have absolutely supported our purpose.”

Menagerie’s present menu showcases coffees by Philly’s personal Elixr Espresso and Minneapolis-based Dogwood Espresso for preparations as pourovers, chilly brew and a full espresso bar.

Breakfast sandwiches are served all day and lunch sandwiches change seasonally. The pastries are regionally sourced from Mighty Bread Firm whereas the cookies, granola, muffins, scones, and smoothies are all made in-house.

“It’s essential we all know who we’re every day,” Nett mentioned. “From there, understanding how everybody comes collectively to tell our areas, to make use of our areas, to work inside our areas is really on the crux of what makes us distinctive in our neighborhoods and permits for the Menagerie retailers to embrace sustainable change and ahead momentum.”

Menagerie Espresso’s new cafe is positioned at 908 N third St Unit A in Philadelphia. Inform DCN’s editors about your new espresso store or roastery right here.

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