Locally-owned cafés and coffee shops brewing up business around the Valley

By MICHAEL VINSICK
For the MVI

The Mon Valley is home to many cafe and coffee shops that offer more than just a cup of joe.

Whether its to get a daily morning coffee and sweet treat, run into friends, or get some work done outside of the house, Valley residents are finding just what they need at local cafes and coffee shops.

Coffee shops have been opening at closed storefronts around the region, bringing new businesses to many small towns facing economic challenges and providing a popular spot to gather, listen to music in some locations, or just enjoy an old fashioned cup of joe.

Here’s a look at six cafes and coffee shops around the Valley:

Clubby’s Coffee Shop

Located off of busy Broad Avenue in North Belle Vernon, Clubby’s is a recent addition that is expanding its menu gradually as business grows. Owner Brian Buchanan wants to bring food and brews from other cultures around the world, hoping to gain a customer base that seeks to expand their food and drink palettes.

Clubby’s in North Belle Vernon. Michael Vinsick / For the MVI

Clubby’s outsources much of their coffee and brewing materials, with their coffee grounds coming from Bad Rabbit Café and Roastery, and their milk and dairy products coming from Harmony Acres.

Because of Clubby’s access to unique coffee grounds, provided by Bad Rabbit Café and Roastery, their most popular drink orders are the iced caramel macchiato and Vietnamese iced coffee. Younger patrons frequently order the Vietnamese iced coffee, as observed during a recent stop.

Aside from its expansive drink menu, Clubby’s has a comfy seating area, where vinyl records and pop-culture posters are visibly hung in portrait frames along the walls. Clubby’s offers access to arcade-style gaming machines and folk-style music through vinyl records, cycled through often, and a visible record player behind the check-out counter. Those looking to hear older tunes while exploring new brews, Clubby’s is the ideal place for you.

Little City Coffee

Situated on West Main Street in the heart of downtown Monongahela, Little City Coffee offers a cozy environment, complete with books and board games to keep busy while you order or take home with you after purchasing. While their environment is cozy, Little City gives you the option of being adventurous or keeping it familiar and simple when ordering your drink of choice. Another feature of Little City Coffee is their drink sizes. If you want to share their product with coworkers or friends, they offer 96 ounce containers for purchase, which are made of sustainable materials.

Little City Coffee in Monongahela. Michael Vinsick / For the MVI

When asked about their most popular drink order, any drink on the seasonal menu is best. One thing to note about their seasonal menu: it changes every three to four months. If you want to try the seasonal menu, Little City recommends trying the Lavender White Mocha or Honeysuckle Latte out of their four current seasonal drinks.

Little City Coffee, while they do make their own sandwiches, wraps, and bite-sized pastries, it does outsource their dairy products, mainly their milk and cream.

In similar practice to several other businesses Little City Coffee gets its milk and cream from Harmony Acres, a local dairy farm in Belle Vernon that produces milks, cheeses, and fresh meats and produce. For those who prefer the classic brews and coffees of a traditional coffee shop or café, then Little City Coffee is the perfect place to go.

His Place Coffee, Community, and More

His Place Coffee, Community and More, located at 100 Third St., in Monessen, functions as a coffee shop and resource for the local community. His Place has multiple popular beverage orders, specifically the Caramel Brulee Latte, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Latte, and any specialty

His Place, Coffee, Community and More in Monessen. Photo by Michael Vinsick / For the MVI

drink on their menu. His Place gets its dairy products from Schneider’s dairy farm, gets their pastries from local bakers, and partners with local organizations such as the Christian Center, Ophelia, Full Potential Project, and Community Life to promote healthy living and recovery from harmful behaviors like addiction. Through its status as a nonprofit and various partnerships, His Place serves the community through participation in charity and other events. His Place, with a friendly staff and homey environment, reinforces its intentions of being a place to feel safe and comfortable.

To support the efforts of important organizations while getting your beverage or food of choice, then His Place is the best option.

Perked Up Café

Perked Up Cafe in Charleroi. Michael Vinsick / For the MVI

Situated on McKean Avenue in downtown Charleroi, Perked Up Café offers great eats and drinks while keeping its environment upbeat and casual. Its most popular beverage order is the

French Toast Latte, which can be found on the specialty menu that’s accessible year-round. Perked Up’s meals are portioned to meet restaurant standards, giving their patrons the option to have a full lunch instead of simplistic pastries or handheld take-out dishes.

If you’re looking for an affordable lunch and access to coffee all day, then Perked Up Café is for you.

Bad Rabbit Café and Roastery

Bad Rabbit Café and Roastery is situated on Liberty Street in Perryopolis, neighboring The Madman’s Moustache, a local record store. Despite being open for less than six months, Bad Rabbit has solidified itself as a space offering good drinks and eats.

Bad Rabbit Cafe and Roastery is in Perryopolis. Michael Vinsick / For the MVI

Patrons are met with decor that creates a comforting atmosphere, but simultaneously sparks curiosity about the pet rabbits scattered in random places. There is also a handmade mural of newspaper and comic clippings that Samantha Skokut, one of the owners of Bad Rabbit Café and Roastery, created. The staff and owners welcome customers with a warm and welcoming attitude that makes you want to come back.

Skokut and fellow owner Melville Petrosky supply their specialty coffee grounds to local shops like Clubby’s in North Belle Vernon, but they also outsource and collaborate with other businesses to make their product. Bad Rabbit gets Harmony Acres’s specialty creamline milk for their various beverages, specialty- flavored macarons from Sweet Velvet Macarons, as well as biscotti from Speers Street Grill.

According to Skokut, the most popular beverage orders currently are any of their flavored lattes and either the creamsicle or strawberry- banana smoothies that are offered yearround.

Bad Rabbit thrives on creating relationships and business partnerships that build communal connections. They pride themselves on being kind, compassionate, and skilled in their craft to bring new life and interest to the small town of Perryopolis. If you like engaging with the community while getting your beverage or food of choice, then Bad Rabbit is a great start.

While these five businesses are unique and offer various benefits to their patrons, there’s still many more available in the Valley. To go beyond the businesses listed, simply ask for recommendations for other places to dine and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the willingness of everyone to guide you to competitors. Despite being in different places with unique aesthetics, all of the cafés and coffee shops across the Mon Valley share the sentiments of community, collaboration, and keeping a watchful eye for each other.