Hannah Powlison Belković, a Glenside native who opened a café with her husband in Zagreb a decade ago, helped Marko Brkich, the Philadelphia-raised son of Croatian immigrants, bring Cogito Coffee to Philadelphia, writes Michael Klein for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Brkich, who wanted to get into hospitality after spending 11 years as a commercial real estate developer, learned of the café chain on one of his trips to Croatia.
He reached out to the owners and discovered they had already considered Philadelphia as a potential entry into the United States market.
However, “they just didn’t really have anybody to work with here on this end,” said Matija Hrkać, who signed on as a partner. “So it was very serendipitous of us that are our ideals aligned.”
Cogito brings a lighter roasting style to Center City Philadelphia than its competitors, especially some of the bigger brands. Another key to success is customer service, said Mrkcich.
The coffee is currently roasted in Zagreb until Cogito can open a production facility in this country The company is also sourcing green beans and also using a roastery in Queens, N.Y.
Read more about Cogito Coffee at The Philadelphia Inquirer by clicking here.
