The retail space previously known as The Children’s Place in Belmont Shore will soon become a food-centric duplex hosting both San Francisco-based Philz Coffee and fast-casual spot Earl of Sandwich.
Philz Coffee has garnered a cult-like following in the Bay Area after it latched itself onto the third-wave coffee movement, a specialty coffee-centric, small business zeitgeist that essentially focuses on honing in on the farmer-to-roaster relationship and eschewing European styles of roasting in lighter flavor and more nuanced approaches to the coffee bean. (Its devoted followers include Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, who invited the father-son team that is Phil and Jacob Jaber of Philz to handle the caffeinated beverages at their marriage in 2012.)
Philz, however, stood out in one particular way from the rest of the third-wave coffee-nauts: it lacked pretense on every level. Sure, it had specialty beans and, to go with it, specialty brewing methods that are now common, but back in the early 2000s, pour-overs and cold brews were not remotely a part of the American coffee vernacular; lattes, caramel macchiatos, and Frappuccinos, however, were.
Come 2013, the small-but-powerful chain would score some $15 million in private funding to expand its presence nationwide.
As to how it will hold up against local third-wave powerhouses like Recreational, Rose Park, and Lord Windsor? We shall see—but it’s about time that the Shore saw a decent coffee shop outside of Aroma di Roma.
When it comes to Earl of Sandwich, the news is good for fans of the sandwich chain started by Robert Earl—not to be confused with Long Beach-based Robert Earl of Robert Earl BBQ—after it closed its closest location in Anaheim’s Downtown Disney (and, admittedly, the sole place in the Captialistiest Place on Earth where the food’s quality matched its price).
Earl is no stranger to the mass consumer restaurant world: founder and CEO of the massive (and massively failed concept that was) Planet Hollywood (joining the ranks of Hard Rock Cafes that have now been altered into Vegas hotels after failing as tourist traps in theme parks and metro centers). He is now owner of pseudo-Italian, on-par-with Olive Garden chain Buca di Beppo and Earl.
Both are expected to be open by the end of the year.
Philz Coffee and Earl of Sandwich will be located in the space at 4301 Second Street in Belmont Shore.