Rival Bros. Coffee Opens a Second Location

Center City coffee drinkers, there’s a new Rival Bros. in town. Co-owners Jonathan Adams and Damien Pileggi opened their second brick and mortar location this morning, in the Touraine building at 1528 Spruce Street. They’ll be serving up espresso, brewed-to-order coffee, cold brew and nitro brew on draft, loose leaf teas, and good ol’ drip coffee weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and weekends from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Adams and Pileggi, with Benita Cooper Design and Ian Chapin of Edsel Co., went for more of a hang-out coffee shop vibe than a place to grab a cup and run — there’s seating for 30, including tables, a long marble-topped counter along the front window, and leather-backed banquettes, with mirrored chandeliers and mosaic tile floors.

For those who need to know about the gadgets, the baristas are using Fetco brewers, a Mahlkönig EK43 grinder, and a Synesso Cyncra espresso machine. The food options are similar to what’s on the menu at the smaller 24th and Lombard location, including pastries and bread (by the slice or whole loaves) from High Street on Market, which in itself makes Rival Bros. worth a visit. As of now, these are the made-to-order sandwiches:

• The Daily Bread: toast with organic and grass-fed butter, sea salt, and fruit preserves

• Peanut Butter Toast: peanut butter topped with dried figs, maple syrup, and vanilla salt

• “Cubano Style” Sandwich: potato bread, classic cured ham, Swiss cheese, Kosher pickles, and mustard mayonnaise

Jason Varney

Sweets from locals Lil Pop Shop, Weckerly’s Ice Cream, Sugar Philly, and Nathan Miller Chocolate, as well as 12 oz. bags of Rival Bros. beans, are also being sold at the new shop.

The owners are also still working on what was going to be a second Rival Bros. location, and will now be the third, at 11th and Tasker streets. There’s no opening date yet, but it could be later this year.