Philz Coffee to expand nationwide

Professionals in the baking and pastry arts, more so in the food service industry in general, likely understand the importance of niche markets. Developing a loyal following is integral to any successful diner, pop-up concept, food truck or coffeehouse. In the case of Philz Coffee, the tech industry of Silicon Valley has become one of the coffee shop’s biggest fans. So much so that in fact that a number of tech executives have recently invested $15 million into the company to help it expand outside California, according to Techcrunch.

Philz Coffee expansion
Philz has become so renowned in the San Francisco Bay Area that the company even has a coffeehouse in Facebook’s Menlo Park headquarters. Currently, Philz Coffee has 18 Bay Area locations as well as an outpost in Santa Monica, according to Eater. Philz has gained its stellar reputation based on the concept of making one cup of coffee at a time, ensuring each is personalized to the customer’s preference. This focus, coupled with a West Coast tech philosophy, has made the coffeehouse a favorite among the region’s numerous tech firms.

It’s no surprise, then, that Philz has a star-studded list of investors including Yahoo chairman Maynard Webb, Jonah Hill and even rapper Snoop Dogg. An emphasis on quality is certainly one of Philz’ strong points, and the company seems confident that expansion won’t water down its products. In an interview with TechCrunch, Philz CEO Jacob Jaber explained:

“We feel we have something special, and we want to share this experience with more people without diluting quality. I talk about it as ‘shareability’ instead of ‘scalability.’ The way to do that is to recognize that the most important people in the company are the people behind the counter, and the store leader who is in charge of each store. We invest in them heavily and create a culture of ownership.”

Where the company will open new coffee shops is yet to be determined. Other third wave coffee roasters have generally expanded to major urban hubs such as New York City and Chicago. Philz has also seen success recently with a food-truck coffeehouse  concept, so perhaps more mobile cafes are on the way. No matter where Philz decides to open new shops, it’s clear that the company’s sincere emphasis on quality will make it a favorite among coffee aficionados and caffeine-crazed foodies.

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