Have you traveled all the way to Northwood recently? Well, you should, because one of the best coffee shop in the City calls it home. Great Awakenings, located at 1466 East Cheltenham Ave, opened in October 2008 and has been serving great coffee and pastries ever since. Owners Bill and Lisa Rodebaugh are proud to call Frankford their home; Bill has lived in the Frankford area his whole life. And they see Great Awakenings as a way to be a positive part of the community they love. As Bill puts it, “We desire for Frankford to grow back into a hope-filled area of Philadelphia, a place where anyone would want to buy a home and raise their family.”
Their vision for Great Awakenings is simple: when Bill and Lisa opened shop, they wanted to create a comfortable space for customers that felt like “an extension of their living room.” And they succeeded! Their backroom just feels like home. We at the CDC often have meetings at Great Awakenings for this very reason – not to mention the best Chai and bagels around. (Try their cinnamon raisin bagels; we promise it can’t compare to any other you’ve tried!)
Bill and Lisa truly want their space to be a community one, and they’ve been great partners to all of the various community based Frankford organizations, including us at the CDC. They’ve held meetings, music nights, poetry readings, and more at Great Awakenings. Their cafe has even been an Election Day polling place. And they’re open to suggestions and ideas. You have a community meeting you need a space for? Looking for a performance space? Try Great Awakenings!
Great Awakenings is open Monday through Thursday from 6:00a to 8:00p, Friday from 6:00a to 9:00p, Saturday from 7:30a to 9:00p, and Sunday from 8:00a to 1:00p. You can reach them at 215.941.8807, or find them on the web at www.greatawakeningscafe.com.
