Penn Hills' Griff’s Grounds Coffé offers its own unique grind

Griffann Coleman-Brewer does not drink coffee or tea, but she does enjoy making a cup for those who do.

The 28-year-old opened Griff’s Grounds Coffé in Penn Hills five years ago, when she was just 23, along with her husband, K.L. Brewer-Coleman.

Everything about the shop is distinct and deliberate, starting with the uncommon “Coffé” and extending to the couple’s mirror-image, co-mingled surnames (Coleman-Brewer and Brewer-Coleman). Coffee beans are not ground until the customer orders. Each kind of bean is put into its own separate grinder — import, decaf, CBD, etc. — and the coffee takes four minutes to brew in a French press. The shop makes its own teabags. CBD oil and other products, sold by other vendors, are on the shelves.

Coleman-Brewer said a lot of research goes into making everything. “We are always growing as a business because we are trying different things to stand out,” she said.

Opening a coffee shop was not a longtime dream. Growing up, she did make coffee and tea for her mother, who liked her drinks strong. Her husband was not a big coffee drinker, either. The idea to open some kind of shop popped into her head after the death of her father, Gryfforn Coleman. At the time, she was studying business at the Community College of Allegheny County.

She kicked around a few ideas, including a tobacco shop, before settling on a coffee shop.

“We got the concept and ran with it,” she said.

Griff’s found a location in January 2017 and opened months in June of that year. Coleman-Brewer is the owner. Her husband, Brewer-Coleman, is the shop manager. Her son, Chantler, 11, has the big job — they consider him the CEO.

The shop features a lounge area for people to sit and watch TV or play a giant game of Connect 4. There is a backroom for event space, and a room for artists to have their artwork displayed for sale.

The pandemic closed the shop in March 2020. Two months later, Griff’s was offering to-go orders by phone. Safety was a priority. Coleman-Brewer worked a second job to help bring in funds for the shop.

“It wasn’t about money and growth, it was about safety. We wanted to take it slow,” she said.

Brewer-Coleman made an effort to work at the shop during the pandemic despite the slow traffic. “I didn’t mind working during the pandemic because I knew people needed somewhere to come out,” he said.

While he was not a big coffee drinker before opening the shop, the experimentation in the work is what interests him most. He samples different beans that his wife brings in.

“Learning this was so fun. We never thought this would happen, but it did and it grew,” he said.

The shop has attracted a number of loyal customers, including another family unit — the mother-son duo of Lori and Nick Theofilis from Penn Hills.

Nick Theofilis has frequented the shop for four years. He considers it his morning wake-up. “Everything is fresh and smells just like it tastes,” he said.

His mother, Lori, is an avid tea drinker and enjoys the champagne tea. She loves the low-key environment of the shop, in contrast to most chain coffee shops. “I love the quiet atmosphere here,” she said.

Giving back to the community is the couple’s biggest focus. The shop helps raise funds to donate to organizations and causes in the area. Coleman-Brewer said they plan to give away proceeds made from the artwork displayed in the shop to fire departments in the area.

The shop has also held events for community members to learn about candidates in upcoming elections.

“We need to be proactive about what we do and make a difference in the community,” she said.

Coleman-Brewer said she is always looking into the future on how to grow as an entrepreneur. She is not ready to declare that “all of my hard work has paid off” — she is too restless for that.

“This was never about me. It was about my dad, hence why it’s called Griff’s,” she said. “I am doing this for him.”

Griff’s Grounds Coffé (1817 Leechburg Road in Penn Hills) is open every weekday except Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.