First look: Down North Pizza owner opening new West Philly coffee shop
Now that familiar smell will greet customers nearby at his new West Philly coffee shop, Out West.
Why it matters: The Down North Pizza founder and cookbook author's next venture will also include a new community space — part of his growing hospitality empire, North Star Collective.
And, like at his pizza spot in Strawberry Mansion, he's hiring formerly incarcerated people to run it.
Driving the news: Out West, which opens on Saturday, offers a lineup of breakfast sandwiches, pastries, drip coffees, lattes, cappuccinos and refreshers, including an avocado lemonade — an off-the-wall creamy and tart concoction that Abdul-Hadi assures us tastes way better than it sounds.
The 2,500-square-foot two-story shop also has a rentable co-working space and community library called "The Study" that is available for those who become shop members.
The vibe: Each floor has a different feel, but they are connected by a modern Western theme, with pictures from local photographer Amurri Kinsey highlighting Philly's urban cowboy culture.
Catch up quick: Abdul-Hadi drew national acclaim after opening Down North Pizza in 2021, a few months after he pleaded guilty to insurance fraud and was placed on house arrest.
The pizza shop, helmed by executive chef Mike Carter, became famous for its square Detroit-style pizza (who varieties are named after hip-hop songs), as well as its social mission to give reintegrating citizens a place to land on their feet.
Abdul-Hadi and Carter teamed up to release a justice-inspired cookbook, "We the Pizza," earlier this year.
Flashback: Over the last two summers, Abdul-Hadi learned the ins and outs of the trade while attending a crash barista course in Bogotá, Colombia — his grandmother's home country.
He also made connections to source Colombian coffee beans.
What they're saying: Out West is opening in a part of West Philly that's basically a coffee desert, Abdul-Hadi tells Axios.
What we're watching: Abdul-Hadi hopes to add a specialty honey latte to the menu as a nod to his late father, who always put honey in his black coffee.
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