Bay Area/ San Francisco
Published on July 17, 2015
Philz Continues Planned Expansion With New SoMa LocationThe newly opened Philz at 1 Front St. (Photo: Geri Koeppel/Hoodline)

Fast on the heels of news that Philz Coffee was opening its first full FiDi store and also has plans for a second FiDi location at Embarcadero Center, it appears the expansion is in full gear with yet another SoMa location, adding to the current location at 201 Berry St. near Caltrain.

Philz has pulled permits for the lot which houses 280 Beale St. and 300 Folsom St. and is seeing a Mercy Housing building going up. It's still under construction, but includes a prominent retail space on the ground floor that wraps around the corner.

According to the Department of Building Inspection permits, the location is 1,990 square feet and the architect is McCall Design Group on Kearny Street, which has also done work for Banana Republic, Kate Spade, W Hotels, West Elm, Williams-Sonoma and other major brands. McCall Design Group is also doing work for Philz at 415 De Haro St. on Potrero Hill and 549 Castro St. in the Castro, according to permits.

The coffee company has also posted a Craigslist ad looking to hire for the new location at Folsom and Beale and offering $15 an hour plus tips, paid time off, and medical and dental coverage. It reads in part, "We have an extensive 3 week training program that will teach you everything you need to know to become an awesome Barista and/or Shift Lead!"

Philz announced earlier this year that it had received $15 million in funding so it can continue its march to caffeinate the masses. The company now has 23 stores, not counting the Embarcadero and Folsom locations in the works. That includes one at Facebook's headquarters in Menlo Park and one in Santa Monica, its first (but certainly not last) outside the Bay Area. In an earlier interview, Philz CEO Jacob Jaber said the coffee company expects to have 1,000 employees by the end of 2015.

We'll keep an eye on the new location and let you know when it's ready to open its doors.