The Anastasopoulos family wants to create a space for sitting and chatting, sampling Greek drinks and pastries, and reconnecting with friends.
By Matt Skoufalos | November 6, 2019
Mina (left) and Eleni Anastasopoulos outside Koupa Espresso Bar in Westmont. Credit: Matt Skoufalos.
When Espressit Coffee House shut its doors for good in February, Westmont lost its longest-tenured coffee shop.
Last Saturday, the block welcomed its newest one, Koupa Espresso Bar, just two storefronts down.
In the former Gino’s Hair Stylist building, which has stood on the corner of Haddon and French Avenues since 1969, the Anastasopoulos family of Cherry Hill has created a coffee shop with the rustic feel of a Greek seaside café.
The concept is simple, Eleni Anastasopoulos said: it’s someplace to sit and talk.
“You go, you sit down, you have coffee, you talk, you mingle, you connect,” she said.
Behind the counter, Eleni and her cousin, Mina serve Chicago-based Intelligentsia coffee and barista-made drinks. Their menu includes popular Greek drinks like freddo espressos and cappuccinos, which, in the island tradition, are shaken and poured over ice.
The Koupa menu includes Greek desserts and pastries as well as traditional favorites. Credit: Matt Skoufalos.
A light-fare kitchen offers homemade Greek dishes like baklava, spanakopita, and rice pudding.
Other custard desserts—bougatsa, galaktoboureko—will make occasional appearances alongside French pastries from the Narberth-based Au Fournil.
Paninis, salads, and protein packs soon will fill a planned grab-and-go case.
Gathering around food and drink is a family tradition. Jimmy Anastasopoulos, Eleni’s father, worked in the kitchen at The Coastline for years.
Her grandfather ran a coffee shop in the village of Skala, in Cephalonia, Greece, where her grandmother’s house “was always full of people.
“That’s how we grew up,” Eleni said. “I would make coffee for all my aunts and uncles.”
The vision for Koupa is to capture that sociable spirit of the Greek islands in a suburban gathering space. Eleni said she’ll be especially happy if the shop can help people shift their focus from their digital devices to one another.
Interior of Koupa Espresso Bar in Haddon Township. Credit: Matt Skoufalos.
In setting the stage for those rendezvous, the family gutted the building down to the studs, replacing plumbing, insulation, electrical, flooring, and structural systems.
Its fresh interior features textured stone, wood, and lots of natural light, showcasing the bustling Haddon Avenue streetscape.
In short, it’s a comfortable place to catch your breath, catch a drink, and catch up.
“I want my kids to learn that you can meet a friend and talk,” Eleni said.
“I think we’ve lost that.”
Koupa is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and until 8 p.m. on Friday. Weekend hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit koupaespresso.com.
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