Brewing up high-quality cappuccinos in a creative and cozy setting, Big Dog Coffee Shop is the South Side’s newest gathering space.
Located at 2717 Sarah St., the 1,500-square-foot shop specializes in coffees and teas from Chicago-based
Intelligentsia and locally-baked desserts, including cupcakes from
Vanilla Pastry Studio, as well as Ho hos and whoppie pies, apricot bars, and cobblers and ice cream.
A labor of love for Cortney Eshelman Ivanov and her Bulgarian-born husband Nikolay—classical musicians who returned to Pittsburgh after a 10-year stint in Dallas—Big Dog features original floor-to-ceiling wood cabinetry, a fireplace and piano, upholstered rocking chairs, and patio seating. The pair purchased the turn-of-the-century property—formerly Kohler’s Bakery—and are renovating its upper residential floors.
“We want to be present in the neighborhood. Pittsburgh is such a great city,” says Cortney Ivanov, a self-described “mocha girl,” whose parents run award-winning South Side
Morning Glory Inn bed and breakfast, also on Sarah St.
The couple hired designer Kim Barnes and contractor Larry Mayo to create the shop’s marble-topped counters, powder blue beadboard ceiling and lime green walls. “We want it to be creative and well done,” adds Ivanov, who has three young sons and is a bassoonist with The Dallas Opera. “We want it to be comfortable for families.”
Named to honor the large canines in the Ivanov’s extended family, Big Dog also features free Wi-Fi and a drive-through parking area along Carey Way. “People are looking outward from Starbucks,” adds Ivanov, who plans to host live music. “Coffee purists can come here and be pleased.”
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Jennifer BaronSource: Cortney Eshelman Ivanov, Big Dog Coffee Shop
Photograph copyright Brian Cohen