ReAnimator was born in 2010, roasting in the basement of a row home in Fishtown. Its first café opened in 2013 at “the forks”, in the heart of Fishtown. The mission has not changed since: “source incredible coffees, roast them carefully, and showcase what makes this ancient beverage so special”.

Every batch is now roasted in South Kensington, inside a former elevator factory that is also a working café, so the roasting can be watched from start to finish over a coffee. ReAnimator buys coffees fresh from harvest through producers, cooperatives and importers, and goes back to the same people year after year, from washing stations in Yirgacheffe to a micro mill in Costa Rica. Single origins come in small lots, so nothing stays on the menu for long; the roast date is printed on every bag and orders usually ship within one business day.

There are six cafés in Philadelphia: Fishtown, South Kensington, South Philly, West Philly, Port Richmond and Mount Airy. Each serves a seasonal menu of espresso drinks, single origin coffee, teas and baked goods, with fresh bags on the shelf delivered from the roastery several times a week, and every blend poured at the bar is sold in the bag. Online orders can be collected free at any of the cafés on Thursdays.

The range runs from light-roasted single origins to the house blends, Foundation, Keystone, Kensington and All Day, an espresso blend, a sugar cane decaf from Colombia and, in October, a Halloween Blend. There are also instant coffees, a rotating single origin subscription and bulk bags, and ReAnimator supplies wholesale customers.

Coffee on the shelf

Photograph: ReAnimator Coffee