Ispirare Coffee, a family-owned coffee company that launched in 2017, has softly opened their very first coffeehouse.
Located on Market Street in Kittanning, the corner cafe serves coffee, lattes, espresso, cappuccino, cold brew, hot chocolate and tea, along with a food menu featuring pastries that are both baked by a local Kittanning baker, and from Pittsburgh’s Madeleine Bakery & Bistro.
When the shop is officially up and running after their grand opening on March 14, they’ll also offer lunch options, including sandwiches, salads and soup.
“We’ve gotten great support from the community,” says Michael Rizzo, who owns Ispirare with his wife Amber. “We’re right on the corner in the heart of downtown, so it’s a pretty key piece.”
Because of the shop’s central location, Rizzo says that they’re seeing a much bigger demand for food than they anticipated, so they’ve expanded their lunch program.
“Victor Carlesi, who is a young baker from Kittanning, is our main baker, baking out of his parent’s restaurant, Vic and Nicelena’s Wood Fired Pizza, and Andrew Stump from Madeleine’s is supplying a lot as well,” Rizzo says. “Plus we’re getting grab and go sandwiches from Grada’s Restaurant, and soup from Madeleine’s, too.”
Pastries are also on the menu, including Morning Buns, scones, cookies, macarons and muffins.
As the coffeehouse continues with its soft open, they’re experimenting with new offerings, including a Lavender + Honey Latte and White Chocolate Raspberry Mocha.
They also offer a $3.25 endless cup of coffee for those staying in the cafe, with unlimited refills.
Kittanning, about an hour northwest of Pittsburgh, was founded in 1727, and, according to Rizzo, has never had a true coffee shop. “So, it’s very much building off some positive things happening in town, and putting in a specialty coffeehouse like this is really helping change the perception of town,” Rizzo says.
Community support, he continues, has been overwhelming.
“Our customers aren’t saying ‘Congratulations,'” he says. “Almost everyone is saying ‘Thank you.’ We want to have a positive impact, and make this work.”
Opening hours and days are still fluctuating, but for now, they’re open Wednesday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m
Ispirare Coffee (140 Market Street, Kittanning)
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