A family-run coffee shop from the Bay Area is planting roots in Boston.
Founded by brothers David, Dennis, and Daniel Lee, Pixlcat Coffee is opening its third café—and first outside of San Francisco—at 32 Cambridge St in Charlestown.
The Lees aren’t new to the hospitality world. Before launching Pixlcat in April of 2023, the trio helmed popular Korean restaurants Namu Gaji and Namu Stonepot back in San Francisco. Their café concept quickly took off, and the brothers opened a second site in the city within months.
Pixlcat has become known for its creative lattes and mochi muffins, which Boston farmers’ market regulars might already know from the local Copley Square and Fish & Farm markets. A unique gluten-free treat that marries the chewy texture of mochi with the buttery flavors of a cupcake, these rice flour muffins come in creative combinations like bacon cheddar and ube white chocolate.
Dennis lives in the area, so he’ll be overseeing the upcoming location. He told What Now Boston that, in addition to the beloved mochi muffins, the menu at the Charlestown shop will feature ceremonial-grade matcha sourced from Uji, Japan, cold-extracted for a smooth, vibrant sip. Customers can expect matcha in all sorts of forms, including strawberry and ube, alongside espresso drinks made with George Howell coffee.
And don’t miss Pixlcat’s signature Dopo Panna Latte. Inspired by Vienna’s classic Einspänner, this iced drink starts with milk on the bottom, followed by a cloud of whipped cream and finished with a pour of rich espresso—hence the name ‘dopo,’ meaning ‘after’ in Italian. The latte comes in five fun flavors: honeycomb, ube, vanilla, mint chocolate, and strawberry.
Pixlcat Charlestown is scheduled to open by mid to late August 2025 and will operate daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. In the meantime, the team is hiring baristas to help bring this Bay Area favorite to life in Boston.
Keep up with the buzz and snag some sneak peeks by following @pixlcatcoffee on socials.
