The Speckled Egg, Commonplace Coffee team to share space in SouthSide Works
Coffee and eggs.
It’s what for breakfast in SouthSide Works Town Center on Pittsburgh’s South Side.
Commonplace Coffee and The Speckled Egg are collaborating on 6,120 square feet of space located on 27th Street.
The businesses have agreed to a 10-year lease.
“It’s the best of both worlds,” said Jacqueline Schoedel, of Pittsburgh’s Uptown, co-owner of The Speckled Egg with husband Nathan Schoedel. “The space is too large for just us so this will work out perfectly.”
Jacqueline Schoedel and Commonplace Coffee owner TJ Fairchild met at the Smallman Galley when they both had business kiosks there.
SouthSide Works is being revitalized and SomeraRoad Inc., the owner and operator of SouthSide Works, has been welcoming, Jacqueline Schoedel said.
She didn’t think twice about collaborating with Commonplace Coffee. The companies have been working together since The Speckled Egg opened two years ago in Downtown Pittsburgh on Feb. 2.
“It was serendipitous we met,” Jacqueline Schoedel said. “TJ is wonderful and has such a big heart. We have had a harmonious working relationship ever since.”
With the new concept, customers will order meals and drinks as well as drip coffee at The Speckled Egg, which will have a coffee bar. Items such as lattes and espresso will be made at Commonplace Coffee and brought to the table.
They will have brunch and lunch and happy hour as well — with a larger kitchen space, Schoedel said, they can expand the menu.
“The community there has embraced us and other independent business like ours,” she said. “The SouthSide Works is a cool area to visit.”
They hope to open by fall. Supply chain issues could delay some of the equipment and materials, Jacqueline Schoedel said.
SomeraRoad is investing more than $37 million in capital improvements and over $130 million in new development on the property and riverfront parcels as a part of its master plan to revitalize the development, according to a news release.
It said The Speckled Egg and Commonplace Coffee “are an instrumental piece of the property’s evolving story, which is centered around a mix of lifestyle-based amenities that includes an emphasis on local food and beverage concepts.”
They are both strong restaurateurs, the release said.
“Being able to procure The Speckled Egg and Commonplace far exceeds our early expectations,” said Herky Pollock, executive vice president and northeast director of the Retailer Services Group of CBRE, Inc. “They will become part of the fabric of the community for generations to come.”
The Speckled Egg is located in the Union Trust building in downtown Pittsburgh.
The business will occupy approximately 4,100 square feet of the space. This is a first for SouthSide Works.
“It’s time to bring the brunch vibes to the South Side!” said Jacqueline Schoedel. “We are so excited to get cracking alongside our friends from Commonplace Coffee.”
Commonplace Coffee, a local coffee outfit with multiple locations throughout Pittsburgh and Indiana, Pa., will be occupying approximately 2,015 square feet of the space.
“We’re excited to open our first South Side location alongside the incredible team at The Speckled Egg,” Fairchild said in a statement. “We’re proud to be part of this collaborative project, which represents the next step in a wonderful relationship. We look forward to serving those who work and live in the South Side and building community through coffee with craft and care.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.