ENCINITAS, CA—Philz Coffee embraces each neighborhood where it sets up shop and invites the local community in, setting it apart from most other retailers today, Gould & Ratner LLP's real estate partner Linsey Cohen and Philz VP of real estate Tracy Chiao tell GlobeSt.com. The company, which is headquartered in and has several locations in San Francisco, is adding stores nationwide, with Philz Encinitas opening in early 2017, a 6th store being added to the L.A. region with an Arts District opening in early 2017 and Boston targeted as the next East Coast market for 2017 (a Washington, DC, shop opened in March). The company has nearly 40 stores in California and DC.
Founded by Phil Jaber in San Francisco's Mission District in 2002, the company has since turned into a national coffee chain with a cult-like following for its unique “one cup at a time” approach to coffee that allows it to craft cups to customers' individual tastes. We spoke with Cohen and Chiao about why Philz is unique and what other retailers can learn about its approach to business and real estate.
GlobeSt.com: What is unique about Philz Coffee as compared to other coffee companies?
Recommended For You
Want to continue reading?
Become a Free ALM Digital Reader.
Once you are an ALM Digital Member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking commercial real estate news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical coverage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
*May exclude premium content© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Carrie Rossenfeld
Carrie Rossenfeld is a reporter for the San Diego and Orange County markets on GlobeSt.com and a contributor to Real Estate Forum. She was a trade-magazine and newsletter editor in New York City before moving to Southern California to become a freelance writer and editor for magazines, books and websites. Rossenfeld has written extensively on topics including commercial real estate, running a medical practice, intellectual-property licensing and giftware. She has edited books about profiting from real estate and has ghostwritten a book about starting a home-based business.
