We love a cafe that is also a love story, and over the years here at Sprudge we’ve had the privilege of profiling more than a couple coffee couples along the way. That’s the scene at Philter, a coffee shop in Kennet Square, PA, a charming old Chester County town that splits the difference between Philadelphia and Baltimore. Perhaps you’re reading this in search of a perfect coffee shop between the two—look no further.
Want your cafe to be considered for a Sprudge Maps Spotlight? All you have to do is register your shop for Sprudge Maps, our user-driven compendium of coffee shops around the globe. And the best part is, it’s completely free! Sign up today!
Sprudge Maps is presented by La Marzocco and Pacific Barista Series.
As told to Sprudge by Chris Thompson.
Introduce yourself to our readers—tell us about your cafe!
The definition of Philter is: a potion, charm, or drug supposed to cause the person taking it to fall in love, usually with some specific person. I met my wife while I was working in a coffee shop and planning to open one of my own. She is a teacher and would come in to grade papers. I would joke that I slipped her a love potion.
When it came time to name the shop I was looking to find something that would capture that piece of our story and what I hoped Philter could be. The goal was to open a place where people could fall in love with coffee, the community, and maybe even their future partner. In the last nine years, we’ve been fortunate to do exactly that.
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What equipment do you use in your shop?
For espresso, we use a Nuova Simonelli Mythos grinder and a La Marzocco KB90 espresso machine. A Mahlkönig EK43 handles all batch brewing on a FETCO, and manual brews on Goat Story Ginas.
Which roaster or roasters do you serve?
We work with Ceremony Coffee Roasters.
What is the neighborhood like where you’re located? What’s some other cool stuff nearby?
We are in Kennett Square, PA., a small borough with a population of about 6,000. We are are halfway between Philly and Baltimore, about an hour away from both.
Locally, we have beautifully scenic drives and nature preserves. In town all of our shops, restaurants, and several breweries are individually owned. Within a 10-minute drive we have world renowned gardens and museums.
What’s something cool or unique about your cafe you want folks to know?
I’d say that it’s cool and unique to find a shop that has such a focus on providing top notch coffee experience in a small town that most would consider the middle of nowhere.
We get plenty of coffee people who make the trip to see us, and I love that. It’s really cool, though, when someone just happens in expecting the typical coffee shop and is excited to find us doing things the right way.
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Is there a community organization or charity you’d like to shout-out as part of this feature?
I’d like to highlight a school that has had a major impact on my life. Girard College is a Scholarship funded five-day boarding in Philadelphia school academically capable kids from single-parent households, providing a path out of poverty through education.
Want your cafe featured in a Sprudge Maps Spotlight? Register your shop for Sprudge Maps, our user-driven compendium of coffee shops around the globe. It’s completely free. Sign up today!
Sprudge Maps is presented by La Marzocco and Pacific Barista Series.
Top image by Ashtyne Kole for Philter, used with permission
