by Emma Polen | features editor
Feb. 3, 2022
Coming up in mid-February is the grand opening of Adda Coffee & Tea House’s newest Downtown storefront.
The new location, the fifth in the Pittsburgh area, will be at 725 Penn Ave, across from the Benedum Center. Adda’s management team hopes to open the week of Feb. 20.
Adda brings a specialty experience for Pittsburghers through their attention to customer needs, promotion of local creators and the unique drink menu.
Justin Seaman is Adda’s director of operations.
Adda meets the needs of the population it interacts with. Besides typical coffee shop pastry and snack items, Seaman says the Downtown locations offer groceries and fresh foods.
“There’s no grocery store, really, for people to be able to use and other conveniences, too, for the busy working population Downtown,” Seaman said.
When the weather gets warmer, Adda is looking forward to hosting more regular events in its outdoor space at the North Side location.
Among Adda’s most popular events are High Tea and Sunday Showcases.
High Tea is held during the summer and described by Seaman to be like a very traditional High Tea. The event features multiple courses of homemade bite-size delicacies served alongside specialty beverages.
“It’s just a really fun opportunity for us to be able to kind of do something out of the ordinary,” Seaman said. “[It] gives our staff the opportunity to work and play around with some great teas and new drinks. And it’s really popular. We sell out consistently each year for the whole season.”
High Teas at Adda are a great destination for groups of friends, dates or even college students giving their parents a city tour. The 2022 schedule for High Teas will be up on their website by the end of February.
Sunday Showcases are a weekly opportunity to highlight local artists. Adda has featured jazz and acoustic musicians, but they also do poetry readings and art gallery exhibits.
“I think what we really love at Adda is an emphasis on local craftsmen, local artists, local musicians, local art, all that great stuff,” Seaman said.
When a local business reaches out about being featured in-store, Adda’s team is always willing to include and encourage new creators.
“We are always open for new ideas and always love having programming events scheduled,” said Seaman.
Adda is known for its interesting drink menu.
The “fun and playful” drink menu, Seaman said, is created by Adda’s in-house beverage manager. Adda is also influenced by Indian culture, which has inspired a tea menu more extensive than most other coffee shops in the area.
Adda shuffles through an interesting seasonal menu. Their featured drinks in February include a Sweetheart latte and a Twin Flame latte that combine flavorful tea and coffee flavors.
“We love getting creative with things as well for different drinks specials and non-alcoholic options for people,” Seaman said.
The new Downtown location will be the closest one to Duquesne’s campus, and Seaman is looking forward to the possibilities for welcoming current Adda customers and newcomers alike.
“It’s going to be a really beautiful space with all types of great conveniences for people who live and work in Downtown, as well as a lot of our awesome drinks menu that everyone’s come to expect from that as well,” Seaman said.
