Source: Pittsburgh Post Gazette, La Prima Espresso

The relocation of La Prima Espresso’s roasting operation to 1500 Chateau Street in Manchester on the North Side has been welcomed with open arms and valued by community leaders for their investment.  Since their relocation from the Pennsylvania Railroad Fruit Auction and Sales building in the Strip District in February, the production and wholesale unit of their roasting operation has been growing steadily, and now features business offices and an in-house cafe being planned in the front with the production area behind. The 4,000 square foot building also includes a 4,000 square foot lot.

“Manchester was not even on their radar for a new site.  I was familiar with the building, the lot, and the Manchester Citizens Corp.,” said Anthony Pantoni, Industrial Services Specialist at Colliers International | Pittsburgh.  “At that point all it took was showing the value of this up and coming neighborhood in Pittsburgh to La Prima. Their relocation to Manchester is part of the revitalization going on there and we are seeing significant interest from companies considering moving there.”

La Prima maintains the philosophy and mission to be a valuable member of the local community through their employment practices and the world community through their green coffee selection, and strongly believe in investing in local businesses and local people.

The Post- Gazette reports La Prima, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this fall, roasts coffee to order — 1,000 to 2,000 pounds a week for restaurants and stores and its retail coffee shop on 21st Street in the Strip. Two roasters work on 25 pounds of green coffee beans at a time.  It donates a portion of proceeds to Grow Pittsburgh (a local non-profit organization) who strives to demonstrate, teach and promote responsible urban food production, and the Rachel Carson Homestead.  As good as the Manchester move has been, La Prima’s owner, Sam Patti, remains passionate that the produce terminal should one day resume its old role, especially with the fervor of the local food movement and farmer-to-household transactions that include the community-supported agriculture program, or CSA.