Little Susie’s Coffee & Pies is expanding its footprint with plans to open a fifth location overall, and its second in South Philadelphia.
The shop will open at 800 S. 9th St. in the former Pop’s Buns Shop space, following the bakery’s recent announcement of its relocation.
“They [former owners Karen and John Blisard] reached out to us a couple of weeks ago when they were moving on from there to see if we’d be interested in taking over the lease. We literally got a text on a Friday, and by the next Monday, we were all aboard. It’s such a wonderful space,” owner Dan Martino told What Now Philadelphia.
Little Susie’s launched in 2019 on Lehigh Ave. and has since expanded to Chestnut St., Chadwick St. and Front St.
“Our first shop on Lehigh Ave., I lived next door when it was my neighbors house. He had a dog named Susie. It was a little dog that would sit in his lap. He used to hang out on the corner with the other neighbors. When he passed away, I thought it was a nice homage to the neighborhood. It’s a community place,” he said.
Martino has long planned to expand further into South Philadelphia, where the shop’s existing location consistently draws steady crowds.
“Our current South Philly spot is busy. South Philly is so enormous, so I feel like having a second shop there will do so well,” he said.
The new 300-square-foot space will mirror Little Susie’s other outposts, featuring the same menu of in-house sweet and savory pies.
“We’ll just ride the same as the other shops. We’re trying to set a standard menu and keep to that. Many of our pies are Philly-based pies like the pork roll and cheese, which is our top seller, and we do a cheesesteak pie–we sell a lot of that,” Martino said.
Other pie highlights include apple, blueberry lemon and glazed cherry, along with savory options such as sausage, egg and cheese; chicken pot pie; mushroom and Swiss; and potato cheddar. Additional specialty pies are also available.
The shop serves classic coffee, cold brew and espresso, along with refreshing options such as orange juice, lemonade, limeade and brewed iced tea.
Martino looks forward to expanding his presence in South Philadelphia’s bustling community.
“We expect to be very busy. Just standing on that corner when Pop’s was open, there were lines straight down the street,” he said. “There’s also Mawn, there’s Ralph’s, there’s Sarcone’s, there’s Angelo’s—just so much going on over there.”
He is also excited to welcome returning customers and meet new ones.
“It feels good to be able to bring a product, to bring pies to people that they genuinely love. We have so much positive energy coming from our customers that it’s affirming,” Martino said.
There is no set opening date for the new South Philadelphia location; however, he said the process should be straightforward, as it is a turnkey situation.
“It was a very easy transition because we also do a walk-up window, and all we’re adding is a coffee station,” Martino said.
Looking ahead, Martino is beginning to franchise Little Susie’s, with the first location set for Milwaukee and operated by a college friend.
Visit the Little Susie’s Coffee & Pies website and follow along on Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates.
