Norfolk coffee company to open first Richmond location on W. Broad St.

Coalescence Coffee is slotting in at 23 W. Broad St. (Jackie DiBartolomeo photo)

A coffee shop out of Hampton Roads is coming to downtown Richmond.

Coalescence Coffee Co., based in Norfolk’s Railroad District, plans to open a cafe at 23 W. Broad St., a 5,000-square-foot space previously occupied by the nonprofit Better Housing Coalition.

Coalescence’s menu features a range of traditional and novel coffee drinks, with options such as a pear spice espresso and tonic, a black tahini matcha, and a pumpkin latte, along with some small-food and sandwich options. A turkey pesto sandwich, a bacon, egg and cheese and coffee drinks are each in the $6 to $9 range.

The planned Richmond location is Coalescence’s first beyond Norfolk.

Coalescence’s existing location was launched out of Grace Collective Church in Norfolk. It was founded in 2020 and combines a coffee shop with community service. Its Norfolk coffee shop also serves as a meeting space for nonprofits and other community groups that are offered the space for free or reduced rates.

Because of its association with the church, Coalescence is an LLC with nonprofit status but operates under separate governance and is not a religious organization, Coalescence Executive Director Tricia Peterson told BizSense in an email. Coalescence is seeking 501(c)(3) status, she added.

Peterson said the Richmond shop will have much the same community-building work.

The Norfolk location hosts programming such as monthly community talks with business owners and community organizers, a local writers’ group and meetings for the foster home community.

Nicholas Lombardi and Chris Brooks cofounded the company. Peterson and her husband Neil, also a board member, are serving as founders for the Richmond location.  

The Petersons moved to Richmond almost two decades ago. Having been involved for many years in local charitable organizations such as Camp Hope Richmond and Patty’s Hope, the couple was looking for the next opportunity when they stumbled upon Coalescence.

Tricia Peterson has been on the board and volunteering full time with Coalescence for the past two years and is now leading the charge in Richmond. 

In a video about the new location on Coalescence’s website, Tricia Peterson said: “We thought, how can we create a space in Richmond where people can come together and find a place that they can belong, and experience this hospitality more often?” 

Coalescence is collaborating with several Richmond nonprofits as it prepares to open the location, according to its website. It was not immediately clear what nonprofits the company is partnering with; Tricia Peterson did not respond to a request for further comment by press time. 

“Our hope is that people will be drawn to our space and feel welcomed, that the community will want to hold their events here,” she said. 

It is unclear exactly how much Coalescence is raising to finance the new Richmond location, yet the company’s online fundraising campaign shows around $190,000 of a $325,000 goal raised, which has covered initial design and construction costs, according to the fundraising site.

Coalescence plans to open the doors on the West Broad Street location in June. The space became available after Better Housing Coalition relocated to Laburnum Avenue in recent months. 

Coalescence will enter the Arts District neighborhood and have at least two competitors nearby. The long-running Lift Coffee Shop & Cafe is at 218 W. Broad St., while Charlottesville’s Mudhouse Specialty Coffee Roasters opened last year at 418 W. Broad St.

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