Military veteran opening coffee shop with a unique twist in Pitcairn
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A new coffee shop with a unique twist and a dream of being a community focal point is opening in Pitcairn today.
KDKA's John Shumway is here with the story of Vault Coffeehouse.
Owner Milo Speranzo didn't like coffee when he went into the military -- but then he was stationed in Colombia.
In his new shop on Broadway Boulevard, you can see his love of all things coffee, born out of visits to small coffee farms in Colombia.
"I don't know if it was the romance of it, or if it was just that the coffee was that insanely amazing. But whatever it was, I completely fell in love with it in Colombia," Speranzo said.
After a post-military detour to Washington, D.C., Milo came home to Pitcairn with a vision for a coffee shop that will help fuel revitalization.
"What I grew up, in the town, raised the children, so you know, I give the I give Pitcairn a lot of credit," Speranzo said.
Sure, the economy isn't exactly 'new-business friendly' right now.
"If you keep delaying it, it will never happened so I figure, let's just do it," Speranzo said.
So, Milo settled on the old Mellon Bank location, 6,000 pound vault door and all.
"It's very late 1970s and nostalgic, so we had to keep it. I had to keep it. That was a no brainer," Speranzo said.
He even hopes that the vault will be a selfie landmark.
Milo loves the coffee landscape of our area and hopes his shop will be a workstation destination.
"We want people to come in. We have seating for 50 people inside the coffee shop. There's going to be community events, pet adoptions, live music," Speranzo said.
But most importantly, the shop will have meticulously sourced coffee.
"This is the only coffee that tastes exactly like it came from a small farm in Colombia. It is amazing," Speranzo said.
"Grind it up, put it in a French press, pour over, whatever you need. It is the best coffee you're gonna have," Speranzo said.
Speranzo hopes that Pitcairn is a launching point for Vault Coffeehouse and he's already visited other old banks.
The coffee shop is expected to be offered up for private events and birthday parts after the shop closes each afternoon.
