Phê Coffee, the Vietnamese coffee shop that turned heads in St. Paul’s Lowertown neighborhood, is plotting a three-city expansion with new locations planned for Edina, Eagan and St. Paul’s Grand Avenue. The Edina spot is one of the planned additions.
From Lowertown Buzz to a Four-Shop Footprint
According to The Business Journals, Phê Coffee opened its original Lowertown location just over a year before the report published, and the shop is now moving ahead with three additional cafes across the metro. The expansion would give the brand four cafes across the metro.
The Lowertown shop found an audience almost immediately. Per the Star Tribune, Phê Coffee in St. Paul’s Lowertown drew a following soon after it opened, a reception that helped set up the chain’s next moves. The Star Tribune has reported that a second location on Grand Avenue was expected to open later in 2026, though timing on that front remains murky.
Grand Avenue Timeline Still Unsettled
Sahan Journal reported that Phê Coffee had not yet released an opening date for the Grand Avenue shop in August 2025. The Star Tribune later reported that the cafe was expected to open later in 2026.
Sahan Journal’s reporting also fills in details about what customers can expect once the Grand Avenue doors open. The outlet reported the new location will add a fast-casual restaurant menu of healthy, fresh Asian fusion bowls alongside the coffee program; the existing Lowertown shop also serves snacks and paninis, including a banh mi panini. The publication also described the shop’s signature pour: customers can order Vietnamese coffee topped with a salty and cheesy foam, a combination that has become something of a calling card for the brand.
A Family Business With Big Ambitions
Dat Vu opened Phê Coffee in Lowertown with his wife, sister-in-law and her husband, according to the same Sahan Journal report. Vu has talked about scaling well beyond four shops — he said he might someday open 10 coffee shops around the Twin Cities, a goal that would put Phê Coffee among the more ambitious players in the region’s fast-growing Vietnamese coffee scene.
That scene is expanding quickly on multiple fronts. The Sahan Journal article characterized the proliferation of new Vietnamese coffee shops in the Twin Cities as popping up like dandelions, and the Star Tribune has separately noted that coffee shops dedicated to this style of brewing are popping up all over the metro. The trend isn’t confined to Minnesota, either — the Star Tribune has reported that it's spreading nationwide, including to Boston and California.
Plenty of Company in the Twin Cities
Phê Coffee is far from alone locally. The Star Tribune has included Phê Coffee in St. Paul alongside Giot Cream Coffee in Richfield as part of the broader influx of Vietnamese coffee concepts opening around the metro. Sahan Journal separately listed Càphin in Minneapolis, Phê Coffee in St. Paul, pop-up shop Sunday’s Cà Phê and Giọt Cream Coffee as spots where Minnesotans could already find specialty Vietnamese coffee drinks.
The expansion plans include Edina, Eagan and Grand Avenue, with the Grand Avenue cafe expected to open later in 2026. The three shops would add to Phê Coffee’s Twin Cities presence, as the appetite for Vietnamese coffee in the Twin Cities shows no signs of slowing down.
