PRETTY TASTY
New boutique claims it has Pittsburgh’s ‘most Instagrammable coffee’
When it comes to coffee shops, Pittsburgh’s cup runneth over. The city is home to a lot of charming clothing boutiques, too. But how many businesses combine the two?
The Loveliest Coffee & Clothes opened this month at 545 Beaver St. in Sewickley to fill what its owner saw as a void in the region.
“I have a passion for clothes and am a big-time coffee lover,” says Kathryn Richardson, 35, of Sewickley. “When I was able to merge together two of my favorite things, it was pretty awesome.”
She came up with the concept while traveling with family to Taiwan, Indonesia, Dubai, Australia, and other parts of the U.S. She also drew upon her experience running Rosewood
Boutique in Sewickley for six years. She closed it two years ago to have more time to travel.
In addition to selling coffee and clothes under one roof, she noticed these stores were often favorite places for customers to snap a picture to post on social media.
“We would go out of our way just to get to these places. I’d research before we got there where’s the place to go to get that dreamy photo.”
The Loveliest Coffee & Clothes is home to what she has dubbed “the most Instagrammable coffee.” Customers can download an app that allows them to upload an image or phrase that will appear in their coffee or latte using a special coffee printer. Each order is assigned a number that people show the barista to claim their artsy drinks.
Especially photo-worthy beverages are the cotton candy and toasted marshmallow lattes (topped with colorful mini marshmallows) and kid-friendly unicorn lemonade that changes color. You also can dress up drinks with edible glitter and gold or purple leafing for an extra $1.
As for clothing, The Loveliest is stocked with women’s apparel, handbags and jewelry and an assortment of things for kids, some of which Ms. Richardson sources from brands she discovered during her travels. She has a soft spot for versatile pieces, like midilength dresses, and most of the inventory is less than $100.
In-store coffee bars and cafes have become a popular way for brick-and-mortar stores to woo shoppers, especially in the age of e-commerce. In New York City, The Blue Box Cafe inside Tiffany & Co. and the Rose Bakery inside Dover Street Market are large-scale examples that have popped up in recent years. Ralph Lauren, lululemon, TOMS shoes and Brooks Brothers have also tested coffee concepts.
A local example of this trend is PG&H on Smithfield Street, Downtown, where you can sip a beverage from Redhawk Coffee while browsing its selection of regionally made furniture, art and home goods.
Ms. Richardson wants The Loveliest to be a place people will turn to for a last-minute outfit, a spot to kick back with coffee and catch up on emails, or somewhere to go with their kids. She hopes its made-forInstagram drinks and decor attract tourists, too.
“I really want it to be a place that when you land in Pittsburgh you get off your plane and you know The Loveliest is the place you have to go and get your Instagrammable photo so people know you’re in Pittsburgh,” she says.