The Story
Marcus Webb opened Alphabet City Coffee in 2014 with a simple mission: bring specialty-grade single-origin coffee roasting to Pittsburgh's neighborhoods. Tired of generic commodity coffee, Marcus invested in a vintage Loring roaster and began importing beans directly from small farms in Ethiopia, Colombia, and Peru. What started as a roastery with a tiny espresso bar has become one of Pittsburgh's most respected independent coffee operations.
The Bloomfield location sits at the intersection of Liberty Avenue and Flower Street—hence the name Alphabet City. The space retains its original tin ceiling and wood fixtures from when it was a hardware store, now lined with burlap sacks of green beans and the gentle hum of a roaster working through the afternoon. Every cup tells the story of the farm it came from, with detailed tasting notes and sourcing information on every bag.
Today, Alphabet City supplies dozens of restaurants, offices, and retail locations across Pittsburgh. But the flagship roastery remains the heart of the operation, where regulars camp out with laptops and espresso drinks, and the air always smells like fresh-roasted coffee.
What Makes It Pittsburgh
In a city known for steel and structure, Alphabet City is built on relationships—with farmers, with other roasters, with the neighborhood. The business grew not through franchising or venture capital, but through word of mouth and consistency. That's how Pittsburgh works: you do the work, you show up, and people notice.
Marcus remains deeply involved in the roasting process and sources beans with the same attention to detail that Pittsburgh's best manufacturers brought to steel. The result is a coffee that tastes like care.