Green Line Cafe

We’re a small family business and we’re into making positive things happen in the neighborhood where we live. In 2003 we transformed a historic but neglected building into a thriving coffeehouse that has been called “West Philly’s Living Room.” We quickly learned people really like our way of serving organic and fairly-traded coffee and quick bites in a welcoming atmosphere. Since then we’ve added four more West Philly locations and a location in Center City.

Since 2013, the locally owned and operated café has expanded into two additional West Philly spaces, plus a kiosk at the Penn School of Veterinary Medicine. And last fall, they opened their fifth location, their first in Center City, at 15th and Moravian.

When Green Line first opened, Best House Pizza across the street was still known as Wurst House Pizza. Desi Chaat House was years away, as were Aksum and Milk and Honey. Gold Standard had just closed on Penn’s campus, and was a long way from opening on the corner of 48th & Baltimore. The diverse collection of dining options that line Baltimore Avenue today was still a work in progress, according to Douglas Witmer, co-owner of the Green Line Café(s). Over the past decade, the area has seen the openings of the restaurants listed above, along with Vietnam Café, Dock Street Brewery, and others. It’s also seen the further development of a grassroots community benefitted by strong civic groups like the Friends of Clark Park and Cedar Park Neighbors.