Thu Pham and Raymond John, the husband-and-wife team behind Caphe Roasters, opened their first cafe on October 16, 2021. The couple had spent three years roasting coffee out of MaKen Studios in Kensington before securing a storefront just down the street. Now, on the heels of their fifth anniversary and a James Beard nomination, they have announced plans to open a second location. This new site will occupy the bottom floor of Herringbone Lofts at 2501 Oakford Street in the Grays Ferry/Point Breeze neighborhood. The partners are targeting a spring 2027 opening for this expansion, which marks a significant step for the city’s only Vietnamese specialty coffee roastery.
A Larger Footprint in South Philly
The new location, unofficially named Caphe Roasters South, will be more than double the size of the current Kensington space. While the original shop occupies 2,345 square feet with roughly 40 seats, the new venue spans 5,685 square feet and provides 80 to 90 total seats. Pham describes the new layout as "more loungey," designed to accommodate public events and private buyouts. The design by CosciaMoos Architecture builds on the brand’s utilitarian identity using a refined material palette. A central coffee bar anchors the space, surrounded by low seating that brings guests closer to the brewing process. The plywood-inspired finish reflects an industrial sensibility, while moments of color in lighting and tile reinforce the brand identity. At the entrance, a flexible metal-grid community wall allows local organizations to share flyers and announcements.
The operational details reveal a clear shift toward larger-scale service. The new location will not include a roastery, as beans continue to be roasted in Kensington and supplied weekly to South Philly. However, it will feature a significantly larger kitchen and dining area, plus third-party delivery availability. Minh Tran steps in as Head Chef after five years with the brand, while Phat Tang moves from Kensington to serve as General Manager. Zoe DeLay, who became Head Pastry Chef in May, leads a standardized pastry program she created from the ground up. Pham says they plan to open six days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. initially, eventually expanding to seven days per week.
The business has grown rapidly since its infancy as a two-person operation averaging 300 pounds of roasted coffee per week for 25 clients. Today, the roastery produces more than 1,000 pounds of coffee per week. In 2025, Caphe Roasters earned a James Beard Award nomination for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program. The cafe has also been a mainstay on the New York Times’ Best Restaurants in Philadelphia list since 2024. In July 2025, the company announced plans to expand into the former Harrowgate Theatre with a brand-new Vietnamese restaurant slated to open in late 2027.
Strategic Partnerships and Community Roots
Matt Ryan, Chris Mrozinski, and Ed Glickman, who represent the ownership of Herringbone Lofts, approached Pham two years ago with the idea of opening the cafe on the building’s ground floor. The building, originally a men’s suit factory built in the 1920s, completed its redevelopment in late 2022 and now features near full occupancy within its 54 units. Pham notes that the neighborhood is definitely growing, and the team is grateful to be part of that growth. The partnership aligns with the brand’s mission to serve multiple sections of the city, particularly areas home to many Asian-Americans.
Caphe Roasters uses beans primarily from Vietnam and other Southeast Asian regions, shipping them nationwide. The menu focuses on specialty coffee, matcha beverages, Vietnamese egg coffee, and breakfast fare including banh mi using Ba Le Bakery rolls. The Kensington location remains open Wednesday through Monday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. John, who is from Fairfax, VA, launched 12 Plus in 2012, a nonprofit partnering with schools to empower students. In 2021, Caphe Roasters partnered with 12 Plus to run as a social enterprise, donating a portion of profits and employing alumni of the program. Pham was born in the Philippines to Vietnamese parents and relocated to Olney, getting into coffee while studying consumer behavior at Drexel University. She won a Kensington Avenue storefront challenge before deciding to open the cafe with John. The team is not actively seeking other locations at the moment but plans to open additional spots in the future.
