Chestnut Hill Coffee Co. opens second location in East Falls

Whether it’s to mingle with friends at a cozy, café-style table or set up camp for a work or study session, Chestnut Hill Coffee Co.-goers and coffee lovers can now enjoy the local roasters’ java at a second location.

The new East Falls café, located at 3300 Henry Ave., opened Jan. 13. The unmistakable historic, beige building is the first sight Falls Center visitors will see upon turning into the complex.

The new location comes eight years after owner Sultan Malikyar—who came to Chestnut Hill from Seattle after seeing a hole needed to be filled in the area’s coffee culture—opened the first in Chestnut Hill at 8620 Germantown Ave.

Operations manager Ben Lemoine said that Chestnut Hill Coffee Co. has been looking to expand for some time, but the Henry Ave. location was an unplanned opportunity the company took advantage of after Jason Friedland—director of operations and management at Iron Stone Strategic Capital Partners – suggested the spot.

“He comes into the café [in Chestnut Hill] regularly,” Lemoine said. “He is [at this complex] every day and he wanted to have great coffee.”

Lemoine said the two-story building was formerly housed a newly renovated restaurant. It was originally a barn. It’s also been a gatehouse to an estate, an inn for students, and a doctor’s office.

Though the space was mostly up-to-date, the service bar up front had to be renovated to better suit a coffee shop operation.

But the second location won’t be offering just coffee and pastries like the first. Although it’s not up-and-running yet, Lemoine said there will also be light lunch foods, such as soup and sandwiches.

While the new location hasn’t seen as much traffic as the original café so far, Lemoine said they hope to tap into the community’s needs as well as the students’ at nearby Philadelphia University.

“We’re still trying to figure out the needs of the community,” he said. “We have to learn about this community a little bit more because it’s not Center City and it’s not just the Northwest.”

Lemoine said the company hopes to expand further in the future.

“It’s putting our toe in the water for further expansion that could be one step closer to Center City,” he said. “And it’s also an experiment with the needs of this community and also with food.”

General Manager Kate Swanson said there’s one thing about Chestnut Hill Coffee Co. that won’t change: the quality coffee and service.

“[Sultan] really wants his café to be a meeting place and he likes the exchange of ideas in an old time café where a community really melds,” she said. “I think [this location is] a great place to meet and mingle but there’s a lot of little corners to sit and study.”

The Henry Ave. café is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day. Swanson said the café will be looking to hire some part-time workers down the road.