LITTLE PENN COFFEE HOUSE
LITTLE PENN COFFEE HOUSE
“The pandemic had Penn Social on the brink of closing for good when we received a restaurant relief grant that gave us hope. Out of that came Little Penn Coffeehouse”
Penn Social had been gaining steam in 2019, growing a steady crowd and hosting private parties and events at a steady pace. But when the pandemic shut us down, and our lease was coming to an end, we knew we had to come up with a fresh look at the business. The restaurant relief grant we received allowed us to create a top notch event space downstairs, and we built Little Penn Coffeehouse on the street level.
With the lockdown coming to an end, we felt certain that DC offices would come storming back and there would be a need for spaces to host parties and celebrations that had been on hold for almost two years. The pandemic ended, but the office workers stayed home. Little Penn was beautiful, our 8th St. patio was perfect, best customers never showed up.
As with so many businesses during the pandemic, we barely hung on. Afterward, we kept trying to find a path that would work in this new environment where office workers came to work one or two days a week, and didn’t go out for happy hour or lunch. With the costs of running the business going up, wages skyrocketing, and downtown staying largely empty, we’ve gone full steam ahead as a private party space with afternoon bar hours. Maybe Little Penn will survive. Cheers!