Two new Pittsburgh coffee shops, five fresh restaurants and the end of the Foodture

Although back-to-school season is still a few weeks out, Pittsburgh’s restaurant scene is learning a number of lessons. Cafes and breakfast joints are August’s craze, with five newly opened or on the way. Yinzers also love Chipotle enough to warrant a new feature at a new location, and copyright lawyers prove that food is still on the chopping block.

Recently opened

Coffee connoisseurs and egg enthusiasts unite! The Speckled Egg and Commonplace Coffee opened a shared location on July 26 in the South Side. It’s the second Speckled Egg and fifth Commonplace Coffee location in the region.

The Speckled Egg occupies about two-thirds of the 6,120-square-foot space, according to a press release, and serves its full menu all day, with a special brunch menu during the weekend and a happy hour appetizer menu on weeknights. Commonplace Coffee’s third offers a less formal experience, with seating along the wall separating the two spaces along with a few community tables.

The two businesses complement each other internally as well. Diners at The Speckled Egg can order specialty coffees and Commonplace customers are able to pick up breakfast for the road.

The Speckled Egg is open Wednesday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Commonplace Coffee is open Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This new coffee shop is a hole in a wall — literally.

The Espresso Bar slid open its window for the first time on Friday, July 28, serving up baked goods and espresso-based beverages from a storefront window about two blocks from The Frick Pittsburgh.

The Bar is open Friday through Monday, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., save for extenuating circumstances (like its opening weekend when a nearly complete sellout prompted the bar’s closure on Monday, July 31).

Stacking burgers and buns has never looked more cubical. Brick Burger brings a “one-of-a-kind pop-up dining experience” to Pittsburgh on Nov. 11-12. Attendees can choose from a variety of colorful, brick-shaped buns (imagine LEGOs without the attached copyright claim) before stacking it high with a “juicy beef patty, a crispy chicken fillet or a hearty veggie option,” and toppings — all the while admiring the brick-themed restaurant and decor.

Tickets are bookable through Hidden.

After 20 years of baking — the past four spent selling Bulgarian pastries to Pittsburgh consumers at area farmers’ markets — Zhelyazko “Jak” Latinov of Jak’s Bakery is opening a permanent storefront.

The bakery, which does not have a set opening date yet, will be located next to Trace Brewing, one of many places where Latinov hosts regular pop-up events. Until the opening, his pastries can be found at the Squirrel Hill, East Liberty and Sewickley farmers’ markets. Date and times for specific markets and other events are available on the bakery’s website.

Let there be light refreshments! On July 29, The Pittsburgh Juice Company announced the opening of Vibrant Sunshine Juicery Cafe. A facility tour, ribbon-cutting ceremony and kombucha tasting session will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 16.

Although this is Vibrant Sunshine’s first physical location, its kombucha is a product of The Pittsburgh Juice Company and is already sold throughout the region.

The cafe’s regular operating hours have not been announced yet.  

New-York based Kyuramen will bring authentic Japanese ramen to Pittsburgh when its new franchise opens in early 2024 in Eastside Bond.

Guac about it! Chipotle Mexican Grill opened the doors of its Homestead location on Monday, July 31, bringing their made-to-order usual suspects to The Waterfront.

The Homestead location also features Pittsburgh’s first-ever Chipotlane, a drive-through pickup window for patrons pursuing a chip-and-run. 

Closing (or changing)

Not even a year out from the launch of Back to the Foodture’s Fifth Avenue location, the restaurant has permanently closed shop — but you can still try the 115 flavors of wings, nearly 40 burgers and dozens of french fry combos at the SouthSide Works location before it closes on Aug. 16.

The dive’s creative burgers and wings were only rivaled by the fiction the restaurant took inspiration from. The closures come as a result of a trademark dispute with Universal Studios, which owns the rights to “Back to the Future.”

Back to the Foodture in the South Side will maintain its regular operating schedule of Tuesday through Saturday, from noon to 8 p.m., until Wednesday, Aug. 16.

On July 24, Con Alma shared a post on Facebook announcing that the restaurant and jazz bar is ceasing regular operations at its Ellsworth Avenue location. The Shadyside site is now only open for special or private events. Con Alma Ellsworth reopened under the new system to a sold-out show on Saturday, Aug. 5. The Downtown location will maintain its regular hours, which are listed on Con Alma’s website.