There are a few things every neighborhood needs close by; a grocery
store for food, a bar for nightlife and, for the caffeine-addicted among
us, a local coffee shop. So when
Mugshots owner Angie Vendetti went
looking for her third location, she knew it had to be a neighborhood
seriously jonesing for java. She settled on Brewerytown, Girard Avenue's
west end that has seen strong development in the last two years. As
Brewerytown's main commercial corridor begins to take shape, Mugshots
hopes to be there to add a little cream and sugar. The shop, located at
2831 Girard Ave., celebrated it's grand opening on Halloween and served
its first customers this week.
"We decided to have a grand opening on Halloween because of the timing,
so we could get the kids to come in," says Vendetti. "It was actually a
really good turnout. There were probably 150 people there, most of whom I
didn't know so that's awesome. It wasn't all my friends and family."
Rehabbed by local development group
MM Partners, the space was
previously a hat shop that relocated to the other end of the block.
Vendetti kept the original stained glass along the top of the facade but
updated the lighting and the appliances for sustainability standards.
Mugshots has long been a sustainable business focusing on fair trade
coffee and reducing waste. But for now, Vendetti says, she will settle
for being accepted into the Brewerytown community.
"Ever since we opened in Fairmount, we have been on that fence of trying
to educate people without shoving it down their throats," says
Vendetti. "We don't want people to feel like they are being preached at
so we always make these options available--we offer 10 percent off for
people with travel mugs, we don't give bags automatically if you only
order one thing, things like that--so that they might catch on."
Source: Angie Vendetti, Mugshots Coffeehouse
Writer: John Steele
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