La Prima Espresso Company - Strip District

La Prima Espresso Company at twenty-first Street and Penn Avenue is identified by its history as the city’s pioneer of the Italian-style espresso bar. Founded on October first, nineteen eighty-eight, by Sam and Debbie Patti, the shop began as a showroom for commercial espresso equipment. At the time, the surrounding Strip District was largely a collection of warehouses rather than the busy market area it is today. The business grew from a niche equipment provider into a central gathering place, known for serving traditional espresso and coffee drinks to a diverse crowd that includes neighborhood workers, students, and visitors.