Locals Coffee Eatery, 909 E. Willow Grove Ave. in Wyndmoor, officially opened on Aug. 12. From left: Ambler resident Caitlin Durkin, the store manager and store owners Alana and Scott Davis, of Wyndmoor. (Photo by Sue Ann Rybak)

by Sue Ann Rybak

It’s rare that you enter a local coffee shop these days and find the place abuzz with conversation. Wyndmoor resident Alana Davis, who owns the coffee shop with her husband Scott Davis, said while most people come to businesses like Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts to get their coffee and leave, people come to Locals Coffee Eatery, 909 Willow Grove Ave. in Wyndmoor, not only to get coffee like their delicious pumpkin pie latte, but to catch up with their local neighbors.

Wyndmoor resident Susan Colonna, 46, said she and her partner, Alex Kahoe, 42, probably go there too much. She said it’s not unusual to see them there on the weekend with their two girls, Leighton and MacKinley.

Kahoe said the girls love the store’s pastries – especially the crumb cake and the muffins.

“The cupcakes are a special treat,” she said. “I usually get a mocha and a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich.”

“They have a really fabulous gluten free banana bread, but I love getting their chicken sausage and egg sandwich without the bread,” Colonna added. “The kids scooter up from the house, so it’s like an outing. It’s a really nice family environment, but what’s really nice is that everyone who is local in the neighborhood comes together. So, it’s just not drinking coffee because you can drink coffee and leave anywhere. Here you are buying your coffee and staying to have a conversation with your neighbors. Also, I have my Pure Barre next door, so, I come here have my coffee and then go exercise."

And if you are there on a slow day, Ambler resident Caitlin Durkin, the store manager, may offer you a sample of a new coffee or pastry. She was offering samples of Pumpkin Pie Latte when this reporter stopped in. This coffee shop is the perfect place to gather for a knitting club or book club. It already has a knitting club that likes to sit by the fireplace.

Recently, Alana told me a bunch of Germantown Friends School moms celebrated getting their kids off to school by enjoying a great cup of coffee outside on the chairs in front of the store.

The idea for the business began at a neighbor’s backyard barbeque. When some friends with Wyndmoor Properties told Scott about their recent project.

Alana, a former Comcast executive, said her husband, a former IT professional, has always been “an entrepreneur at heart, but that entrepreneur spirit had to be tapered a bit.”

In fact, Scott used to own pizza franchises in Washington, D.C. He said the experience taught him a lot.

“I learned that I wanted to do breakfast, and I wanted to do something simple and delicious,” he said. “We are not trying to be everything to everyone.”

The owners are trying hard to keep everything local. All the pastries are homemade from Little’s Bake Shop. All the fruits and vegetables, including those used in Scott’s homemade vegetable cream cheese, are from Captain Andy's Market, which is owned by Wyndmoor resident Andrew Peszka. All of Locals’ Coffee Eatery coffee comes from Chestnut Hill Coffee, although, they hope to eventually roast their own coffee in the future.

Besides the delicious gluten free banana bread, pumpkin pie latte and locally made Chai Latte, there is free parking.

Visit Locals Coffee Eatery's website or Facebook page for more information.