Our Story

Infused with Japanese and Korean minimalist design, Persimmon is an independent coffee shop, roaster, and lifestyle brand founded out of a mutual devotion to genuine community, empathy, and storytelling. 

After crossing paths while working in the coffee industry at different stages of life, we bonded through our connectedness to our beloved city and its people. We’re committed to not only delivering quality beans and products, but also providing a safe space for any and every human being to be able to access the beauty and ritual of specialty coffee.

 

 

The persimmon (柿, 감) is a delightfully sweet fruit with deep Asian roots.

Native to China, it spread to Korea and Japan and finally reached California in the mid-1800s. However, it is a fruit that is often overlooked in North America and sometimes mistaken for others that look similar. Persimmons embody who we are and the story we want to tell: we are not only a brand, but also a community and space that welcomes you just as you are.

 

 

We launched Persimmon during unprecedented times. Engaged in a fight for our lives with a global pandemic and deep racial injustice, starting a business seemed an almost impossible and meaningless task. As individuals, we cooked and cared for our friends on the medical front lines, participated in peaceful protests in Philadelphia, and checked up on the elderly in our community.

And through it all, we witnessed the power of empathy. 

In the midst of heartache, we believe that Persimmon can make our city a little bit warmer, sweeter, and hopefully, a better place. We’re going into business as an act of remembrance of who we are and what we can do. We’re creating a space that does not seek to conform or assimilate. Persimmon is a brand, a community, and a place of respite that asks you to just come as you are. 

Because you are beautiful.
You are complete.
You are enough.

Gratefully,
Kai, Sawyer, & Chaereen