Standing Out in the Coffee-Shop Sector

Philz headquarters in San Francisco.

ENCINITAS, CA—Philz Coffee embraces each neighborhood where it sets up shop and invites the local community in, setting it apart from most other retailers today, Gould & Ratner LLP’s real estate partner Linsey Cohen and Philz VP of real estate Tracy Chiao tell GlobeSt.com. The company, which is headquartered in and has several locations in San Francisco, is adding stores nationwide, with Philz Encinitas opening in early 2017,  a 6^th store being added to the L.A. region with an Arts District opening in early 2017 and Boston targeted as the next East Coast market for 2017 (a Washington, DC, shop opened in March). The company has nearly 40 stores in California and DC.

Founded by Phil Jaber in San Francisco’s Mission District in 2002, the company has since turned into a national coffee chain with a cult-like following for its unique “one cup at a time” approach to coffee that allows it to craft cups to customers’ individual tastes. We spoke with Cohen and Chiao about why Philz is unique and what other retailers can learn about its approach to business and real estate.