Happy Bear Coffee and Carlino’s snacks to open a new location at Philadelphia’s Navy Yard.

The Navy Yard in Philadelphia is set to welcome a new addition to its growing array of amenities with the announcement of a coffee shop and wine bar operated by Happy Bear Coffee Company. This development is part of the Navy Yard’s extensive redevelopment efforts aimed at revitalizing the historic military base, which has transitioned into a vibrant mixed-use urban environment.

Happy Bear Coffee Company, which has previously operated exclusively online for the past two years, will launch its inaugural physical location at the former naval facility in early 2024. This strategic partnership with the Navy Yard developers, Ensemble/Mosaic, was revealed in a recent announcement. Happy Bear has secured a 3,000-square-foot space within a mixed-use lab building situated at 1201 Normandy Place, designed to cater to life-science tenants, including firms focused on genetic and cellular therapy innovations.

The upcoming café will offer a diverse menu that features specialty coffee, wine, and a selection of grab-and-go food options such as sandwiches, soups, salads, and flatbreads. Notably, the café will collaborate with Carlino’s, a renowned specialty food purveyor from Ardmore, to provide high-quality food options. The interior and outdoor seating will overlook Central Green Park, creating an inviting atmosphere for patrons to enjoy their coffee in a scenic environment.

The vision behind the café is to establish a welcoming hub where community members can experience their daily rituals of coffee consumption or unwind with a glass of wine in the evening. Happy Bear co-founder Dan Kredensor expressed intent to foster a sense of retreat and community within the busy setting of the Navy Yard’s and its surrounding new district.

Ensemble Real Estate Investments and Mosaic Development Partners have been tasked with overseeing a significant .5 billion project aimed at redeveloping 109 acres of the Navy Yard. The construction of the building housing Happy Bear’s café was included in the first phase of redevelopment, which comes with a price tag estimated at 0 million.

Happy Bear’s location is part of a larger Historic Core District project, integrating both refurbished historic buildings and modern infrastructure. In tandem with the new café, more than 600 residential units have been constructed in the mixed-use development known as AVE Navy Yard, projected to open shortly.

As part of the broader vision for the Navy Yard, stakeholders aim for the area to eventually encompass nearly 4,000 new apartments, 235,000 square feet of retail space, and more than 4.2 million square feet designated for office, research, and manufacturing activities. The Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation is managing the Navy Yard site, which has been under its control since the U.S. military ceased operations on the premises in 2000. Today, the Navy Yard employs approximately 16,000 individuals across 150 companies, contributing significantly to the local economy.

This evolving landscape at the Navy Yard not only signifies a transformative phase for this historic site but also emphasizes a commitment to creating a dynamic, community-focused environment that caters to a diverse array of residents and professionals.