Brendan Little, 30, takes orders at the counter as he greets regulars by name. Once the crowd subsides, he steps away to join me at a table outside. “I think Knockbox is one of the best coffee shops in the city,” he says as he takes a seat. Bias notwithstanding, of course.
It’s 9 a.m., and the morning rush at Knockbox Cafe is in full swing. The wood–paneled interior is packed with people queuing to order, enjoying their spiced coffee and muffin, or chatting at one of the five tables lined against the wall. Customers spill onto the outdoor patio overlooking 45th and Osage streets, a space that warms under the mild sun as September melts into October.
Little is Knockbox’s most seasoned barista, having started in 2021 soon after the cafe’s opening. Originally from Florida, he attended university in the state with a major in editing, writing, and media. When his wife—girlfriend at the time—got a job at a theater in Philadelphia, they made the move together. Their apartment was just a block away from Earth Cup, the coffee shop location’s previous name. Little has seen the coffee shop undergo many transformations since then, from launching under new ownership during the COVID–19 pandemic to regaining its bustling ambience in recent years. Knockbox has been a constant through personal milestones, too. “This is where I was working when I got married, and so a lot of pivotal moments of my life have been working here,” Little says.
He is no stranger to cafes. His barista experience ranges from his first coffee–bar job at Books–A–Million in Florida to the Saxbys on Drexel University’s campus. According to him, Knockbox has something special. Many of its regulars would agree. From plants on the counter to teapots strung across the ceiling, the cafe wraps you in a warm, cozy atmosphere as soon as you step in the door. “It’s in this residential neighborhood, so it almost feels like you’re going into somebody’s home,” Little says. “And I think that [is] the vibe we’ve tried to cultivate inside, and [the owner] Heather is trying to make it feel very welcoming and somewhere that feels like just an extension of your home.”
That sense of comfort—not to mention the excellent beans from Fonseca Coffee—draws all kinds of customers, from college students, to local residents, to artists. According to Little, many are neighborhood regulars who have lived in West Philadelphia for decades. He describes the daily rhythm of switching between his customer–service persona while serving new people in line and repartee with the familiar faces he sees every day. As an Eagles fan, he finds that sports is a common conversation topic. One of the regulars frequently makes the point of telling him his back looks strong. “I love him,” Little laughs.
Little keeps around 300 names in circulation, and although that takes up a lot of storage space in his brain, he enjoys knowing so many people. After a few years working in a small part of the neighborhood, Little often runs into people he recognizes—or, rather, people who recognize him. When walking in the neighborhood, his wife always tells him, “You’re a microcelebrity.”
Indeed, as we continue the conversation, one of Little’s neighbors emerges from the cafe and stops to chat with him about the pastry offerings that day. “My new favorite is tomatoes,” she says, holding the good in a paper bag to show him before continuing down the sidewalk.
“I feel like everyone really likes the people that make coffee for them,” Little comments.
That connection exists not only between baristas and customers, but also among the baristas themselves. Little has made some of his best friends in the city by working at Knockbox, and he observes that people who work in coffee might have “similar minds” in general. “People might be surprised to find out that we like each other behind the bar” he says. “Even if it sucks on a Saturday when there’s 30 people, you’re still having fun on some level, or trying to find ways to get through it, to at least support each other.”
What makes him so dedicated to his job is not only the care he provides to customers, but also the care he receives as a worker. Knockbox’s owner, Heather DeGrands, provides benefits that many other shops don’t offer, such as paid time off and sick leave. Another plus? The free drinks. Baristas have unlimited access to high–quality coffee, which can be key for making it through the early–morning shift. “You’re definitely addicted to it, because you just have it every day,” Little says. “Because why not?”
As avid coffee drinkers, Little and his wife have created a spreadsheet rating shops around the city. Take it from the experts: At the top of the list are Vietnamese cafe Càphê Roasters in Kensington for coffee and Cleo Bagels in Cedar Park for food.
While many of us love coffee, some people simply can’t function without it. That need for caffeine also brings all sorts of characters into the cafe. Little recounts one morning when a group called ahead asking for bulk drip coffee, then came in and ordered 17 lattes. “At first I thought they were police,” Little says, recalling the heavy–duty vests the group was wearing. It turns out they were a film crew shooting an Apple TV show, and the vests belonged to production assistants. Just this week, a professional from New York came in every day while working on the upcoming FringeArts theatre festival in Philadelphia. “You meet a lot of interesting people because people from all kinds of industries need coffee,” Little reflects. “It’s universal.”
Then there are encounters that arise from the public nature of a coffee shop. Once, Little noticed a man unconscious on the street outside, a “guy my age who had tattoos and looks like me, basically,” he says. After closing the cafe, Little and two other passersby tried to help the man get his bearings and walked him to where he said his Airbnb was, only to find a house that clearly wasn’t the right address. “He just bolted and I never found out what happened to him, but I hope he’s okay,” Little says. “Baristas are kind of like social workers sometimes, and you end up just helping people out who you have no business helping, or you feel kind of out of your depth.”
By nature of their public–facing role, baristas are bound to do more than what’s listed in their job description. They play many roles: teammate, coffee aficionado, equipment wrangler, conversation partner. Now, Little is taking on a new one that taps into his undergraduate English degree. This month, he starts a job at the Free Library of Philadelphia, where he will shelve books, provide assistance at the circulation desk, and help people sign up for library cards. He is working part time for now, but he hopes to eventually transition to full–time work, which will mean leaving his barista job.
“I was just joking around that after four years, it’s like I’m gonna graduate from working at Knockbox,” Little says.
For college students, graduating means leaving behind fond memories, early mornings powered by caffeine, close friends, and friendly faces. The same could be said for Little. But rather than him leaving it all behind, his contributions to the people of Philadelphia will transition from satiating tastebuds to satiating intellectual thirst. While he will continue being recognized on the street by the hundreds of people he has served over the years, he knows that if he is craving his favorite coffee, Knockbox is ready to welcome him back home.
