For coffee lovers, there’s nothing quite like finding that perfect cup.
Maybe it comes from a Philadelphia roaster that has been caffeinating the city for more than 170 years. Maybe it introduces a coffee tradition from halfway around the world. Or maybe it is roasted inside a former ammunition complex that has found a new purpose in Philadelphia’s evolving food scene.
At the Philly Coffee Festival, visitors can experience all three.
The third annual Philly Coffee Festival will bring specialty roasters, coffee tastings and live entertainment to the 23rd Street Armory on Saturday, Oct. 17, and Sunday, Oct. 18, giving coffee drinkers an opportunity to explore the region’s coffee scene under one roof.
Launched in 2024, the festival was created to put the region’s coffee makers and coffee drinkers in the same room.
“We started in 2024 to bring roasters and coffee lovers together,” said Craft Hospitality, organizer of the Philly Coffee Festival. “Since then, we’ve seen local roasters build relationships directly with the Philly coffee community and watched those connections help their businesses grow.”
This year, visitors will be able to sample coffees from more than 20 participating roasters, with tastings included in admission. It’s a chance to compare coffees side by side, ask questions and learn about the businesses and people behind each cup.
“It’s an opportunity to explore different coffees side by side, ask questions and discover a new favorite,” Craft Hospitality said.
More than 170 years of Philly coffee
Those discoveries could include a taste of Philadelphia coffee history.
Ellis Coffee, a fourth-generation, family-owned and operated Philadelphia roaster, traces its roots to 1854, when the company began as a Chinese coffee and tea importing shop on South 8th Street.
A pivotal moment came in 1908, when the company’s owner died suddenly and much of the day-to-day operation fell to John Ellis, who was just 13 years old.
Ellis helped keep the business running and, with the assistance of a personal loan from a family friend, eventually purchased it and renamed it John Ellis & Bros. Teas & Coffees.
More than 170 years later, the company continues roasting coffee from its home in Philadelphia’s Bridesburg section.
“Our longevity sets us apart from all the other roasters in the area, and we believe longevity speaks for itself,” said Chris Snee, director of marketing at Ellis Coffee. “Having been in the coffee game for over 170 years, we’ve learned a few things about the art and science of coffee roasting that only can be found with experience.”
There’s also a good chance some Philadelphians have already tasted Ellis Coffee without knowing it.
“After 172 years, our coffee is served in an overwhelming amount of breakfast spots, restaurants, cafés and businesses throughout the area, but many people may not recognize the Ellis name or realize that we’re actually the coffee in their favorite cup at one of their favorite places,” Snee said.
That makes an event centered on face-to-face interaction especially meaningful.
“Events like this give us an opportunity to connect directly with the community to share our coffee and story,” Snee said. “I like to think of Ellis Coffee as one of Philadelphia’s best-kept secrets.”
Ellis plans to pour three of its popular blends at the festival, representing light, medium and dark roast profiles.
Its Presidential Roast combines Colombian, Brazilian and Honduran beans for a light-bodied coffee with a smooth finish. The Philadelphia Roast, named for the company’s hometown, is roasted slightly past medium and features chocolate notes with a cinnamon-almond finish. For those who prefer something darker, Ellis will serve its Guatemalan French Roast, a single-origin coffee made with 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified Guatemalan beans.
Philadelphia’s influence on Ellis extends beyond its address. Its coffees include names such as William Penn, Dock Street and Philadelphia Roast, and the company serves as the exclusive coffee roaster for the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It has also partnered with the Philadelphia Zoo on Jambi’s Java, a single-origin coffee that helps support the zoo’s global conservation efforts.
“Philadelphia is part of who we are, and we’re incredibly proud of our roots here,” Snee said.
Bringing Yemeni coffee traditions to Philly
While Ellis brings a piece of Philadelphia coffee history to the festival, Haraz Coffee House will offer visitors an introduction to the centuries-old coffee traditions of Yemen.
Hamza Shaikh said the idea for the business took shape after a visit to Dearborn, Michigan, where the founders encountered the Yemeni coffee experience.
“We wanted to start a local coffee shop and, when visiting Dearborn, Michigan, fell in love with the Yemeni coffee experience and decided to bring it to Philadelphia,” Shaikh said.
At the festival, Haraz will serve chai, mufawar coffee and fresh pastries from its bakery.
Its signature drinks include mufawar coffee and Adeni chai, both featuring cardamom, a flavor that Shaikh said has proven particularly popular with customers.
“We have been surprised with how much people like cardamom infused in their drinks,” Shaikh said.
Haraz’s coffee beans come from Yemen and offer a distinctive flavor profile. Beyond traditional coffee and chai, the shop has also found an audience for its pistachio latte and desserts, including milk cake and malt cake.
For someone looking to experience Haraz through one pairing, Shaikh recommends an Adeni chai with milk cake or malt cake.
The shop’s approach emphasizes the preparation behind each drink.
“We make everything fresh and are not a fast-turnaround, pre-made cafe,” Shaikh said. “We are specialty coffee and tea, and therefore each drink is handcrafted and takes time to make.”
Community is just as important as what is being poured. Haraz hosts free weekly workshops featuring small businesses from around the region and works with local student groups on events and catering.
For Shaikh, one of the rewards of building the business has been seeing customers talking, spending time together and enjoying coffee with family and friends.
The festival provides another way to make those connections.
“It allows us to get in front of customers that may never know about our coffee shop or drinks,” Shaikh said. “It also allows us to get feedback on our products.”
New life inside the Frankford Arsenal
Another participating roaster has tied its identity to a very different chapter of Philadelphia history.
Arsenal Coffee Roasters operates from Building 38 of the historic Frankford Arsenal, transforming space within a complex once associated with ammunition production into a home for small-batch coffee roasting.
The company was founded by Master Roaster Craig Weizer, whose interest in specialty coffee was sparked during a trip to Costa Rica. After more than a decade of experience connected to Philadelphia’s industrial and culinary revitalization, Weizer trained at Mill City Roasters in small-batch roasting.
Matt Kurilla-Moore later joined the company as head of growth and local liaison, helping build relationships with neighborhoods, retailers and other businesses across Philadelphia.
Together, the company operates around the idea that coffee can serve as a catalyst for community and storytelling.
At the festival, Arsenal will showcase three small-batch, 100% Arabica coffees.
Its 001 / Tri-Blend combines a chocolate base with cherry, nutty notes and a citrus finish. The 002 / Java Cat features milk chocolate, orange and dried plum, while the 003 / Espresso offers caramel sweetness, apple and an earthy finish.
Kurilla-Moore recommends festival visitors pay particular attention to the Java Cat. In addition to its flavor profile, a portion of proceeds from each bag supports artistry in memory of a local creative spirit.
Arsenal’s Philadelphia identity is also tied to its surroundings.
The roaster is part of the Culinary Collective at the Arsenal, a community of more than 75 local food entrepreneurs. Kurilla-Moore works directly with neighborhood corner shops, markets and cafes as the company self-distributes its coffee.
That hands-on approach also brings Arsenal to farmers markets, where direct conversations with customers have become one of the most rewarding parts of growing the business.
For Arsenal, local events such as the Philly Coffee Festival are an extension of that model, providing an opportunity to put its coffee directly into people’s hands while telling the story behind it.
The company also roasts to order and aims to deliver coffee within two business days, with Weizer manually dialing in small batches to balance the characteristics of the beans with Arsenal’s “bold and smooth” profile.
If visitors want one cup that introduces them to the brand, Kurilla-Moore points to the 001 / Tri-Blend — the company’s “daily driver” built around chocolate, nuttiness and a bright citrus finish.
One room, many approaches to coffee
Ellis, Haraz and Arsenal represent just three of the different stories visitors will encounter at the festival.
The complete lineup includes 25 coffee businesses: Ellis Coffee, Smokin Butcher Coffee Co., Brainwave Coffee Roasters, Evermore Coffee, Working Class Coffee, Midas Touch, Nilaa Coffee, Pilgrim Roasters, COBA Coffee, Haraz Coffee House, Black Lotus Coffee, Cultura Coffee, Habitat, Mt. Zulu Coffee, Beverage Babe, Càphê Roasters, Little Amps Coffee, Lion Hills Coffee USA, Madis Coffee Roasters, Duskaia Nicaragua, MOTW Coffee & Pastries, Philly Fairtrade Roasters, Square One Coffee, PitchPine Coffee and Arsenal Coffee Roasters.
Dona Chai will also participate, providing a non-coffee option.
“We bring together a mix of established, familiar names and newer coffee businesses doing exciting work,” Craft Hospitality said. “We want visitors to reconnect with favorites while discovering businesses they might not have encountered yet.”
Participating businesses will have seasonal offerings and new coffees available to sample. Live music will also be part of the weekend, with Gabrielle Chapman and Dany performing Saturday, followed by Love Said the Commander and Joseph Alton Miller on Sunday.
But the event is designed to be about more than caffeine.
Craft Hospitality sees the festival as an opportunity to strengthen a coffee community that stretches across Philadelphia but whose members don’t necessarily get many chances to gather in the same room.
“Roasters are busy running their businesses and don’t always have time to get together,” Craft Hospitality said. “Here, they can taste each other’s coffees, exchange ideas and support one another. Those relationships help strengthen the coffee community beyond the event itself.”
That community extends to the people on the other side of the counter.
The festival gives independent businesses direct access to potential customers who can continue supporting them after the final cup of the weekend has been poured.
“The festival exists to introduce these businesses to coffee lovers,” Craft Hospitality said. “Guests can taste something they love, meet the people behind it and leave with a new shop to visit or a roaster to buy from long after the weekend ends.”
Organizers say the festival is intended to be approachable for serious coffee enthusiasts and casual drinkers alike.
“It’s a welcoming experience for coffee enthusiasts and casual drinkers alike,” Craft Hospitality said. “Bringing this range of coffee businesses together under one roof gives visitors a chance to explore the scene and connect directly with the people making it happen.”
For organizers, some of the most memorable moments have come simply from watching those connections happen.
“What stands out is looking around the room and seeing how many different people coffee brings together: tired parents enjoying a moment for themselves, a growing roaster proudly sharing a coffee with someone new, or a group of friends spending the afternoon tasting and talking,” Craft Hospitality said. “Those conversations and big smiles make it worthwhile.”
And if visitors leave with a new favorite coffee, organizers hope they also come away with a greater appreciation for the businesses producing it close to home.
“There’s wonderful coffee nearby, often at prices comparable to what people already spend at larger chains,” Craft Hospitality said. “Discovering a new favorite can also mean helping an independent business grow.”
From a family-owned Philadelphia roaster whose story began in 1854, to Yemeni coffee infused with cardamom, to small-batch beans being roasted inside a piece of the city’s industrial past, the festival offers more than different ways to fill a cup.
It offers a taste of the people, traditions and neighborhoods that continue to shape Philadelphia’s coffee culture.
The Philly Coffee Festival takes place Saturday, Oct. 17, and Sunday, Oct. 18, at the 23rd Street Armory, 22 S. 23rd St. General admission sessions are offered from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. both days, with morning early admission beginning at 9 a.m.
Coffee tastings are included with admission, and food will be available for purchase. Additional information and tickets are available through the Philly Coffee Festival website.
