Constellation is celebrating our 10th anniversary!
It’s hard to fathom all the way back to 2013 – I remember the night before the shop opened for it’s first day of business, being so excited I couldn’t even sleep! It was like the day before a trip to Kennywood!
We have had so many exciting developments over the years, including our share of challenges.
Back in 2013, my goal was to consistently brew delicious coffee and espresso, highlighting all the great efforts along the supply chain. Information about what goes on at origin had been becoming more transparent, allowing those of us serving the coffee to get extra nerdy about making sure we were sourcing product where farmers were being fairly compensated for their labor, the environment was respected, and the art and science of coffee processing provided room for creative experimentation.
We drew a hard line at the beginning – our no frills atmosphere was to encourage participation with the coffees and the community. We kept our focus by offering a short menu of coffee and espresso drinks - there were no syrups (!) no decaf (!!) no tea (!!!) !
After gaining the appreciation of a few dedicated regulars, they began to inquire about things like sweet “afternoon” drinks – and we began to introduce some flavored lattes. Not long after, we discovered Song Tea and were proud to bring these amazing teas to Pittsburgh and provide a venue for rare and special oolongs.
As the shop continued to grow, we were happy to be able to expand our staff. Our commitment to fairness extended to our employees. It was most important to make sure they were provided with an environment that allowed room for growth, and they were provided with the necessities often foregone in the service industry – paid sick days and holidays.
In January of 2020, we closed down for a month to do much needed repairs and remodeling. We rebuilt the bar for increased speed and to accommodate the requirements of the health department – our small building has an occupancy limit of ten people. We had to figure out how to create customer flow that allowed us to have spaces for the many ways people use the café and not exceed our allowance.
The pandemic changed much of what we had in mind for the year ahead – and prevented us from taking our gains for granted! However, there were some perks of that time. We were gifted with the ability to use the outdoor space down the street. Now the patio area has practically become a year round staple for some of our regulars, and a real joy for me. We were also gifted with a serious upgrade in our coffee quality.
We had always appreciated the coffees we were working with but began trying new roasters during the down-time of the pandemic. We were also spending more time working on our tasting skills. I had always avoided a multi-roaster model because I feared having an unwieldy menu – how would we keep everything dialed in? Would customers want to take a gamble on something new?
However, as we became more familiar with the numerous roasters we were working with, and continued to discover more folks doing interesting things, we found a way to make our menu tailored to our preferences and seasonal interests. We had taken the first steps toward becoming the curated experience that many of our customers have come to appreciate.
Clif’s experience with the pour over bar had grown exponentially during the pandemic – and is now not only a niche part of our menu, but a draw. The limitations imposed by our occupancy allowances have provided me a space to host my astrological projects, and the back room is now a consultation space.
As many of you know, this is a small operation. Constellation has always been a labor of love. We are endlessly grateful to be able to celebrate this milestone with you, and honored to have your support. We couldn’t keep doing this without you!
This week kicks off specialty coffee week in Pittsburgh – and although we don’t have any events going on, we’re happily burning the torch for delicious coffee, day in and day out. We are always happy to help you find the perfect companion for your home brew setup, give you tips on our experiences with a specific coffee, or offer suggestions for something new. Come visit us! We’re always trying to make it worth your while, and so grateful to be able to keep doing what we love! Thank you!