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Orbis Caffe
Mt. Lebanon's New Coffee Shop
Posted: Dec. 23, 2011
By Jessie Cadle

Orbis Caffe, formerly Aldo Coffee, is buzzing with people, and I watch them, chai in hand. My drink is rich and creamy, more milk than tea, lovingly called a “dessert chai” by the barista. I am lucky enough to have the company of owner Sonja Schutte and her family, all of whom work at the shop.

They are self-proclaimed coffee people.

“Coffee is our thing,” Sonja explains between customers. “We always seek out the coffee shop. Our favorite one, we found in England 20 years ago. It has a courtyard and a gift shop on one side. We said, ‘One day, we should do this.’”

And so they did. Their opportunity came when Aldo Coffee, a South Hills coffee staple, went on the market. Sonja had been a barista there along with her 20-year-old daughter, Clara. Sonja and her husband bought the place and subsequently, revamped, renamed and reopened Aldo the day after Thanksgiving.

Orbis offers the same drinks and the same staff but a new atmosphere. The walls-decorated by a muralist friend-are bedecked with gray Vespas (“My mom really likes Vespas,” Clara tells me) and chalkboard paint.

The place possesses an easy-going feel, but they have a lot of ambition for the venue. The family wants to do more community outreach. Clara hopes that they will be able host events like a high school poetry slam and art show, a coffee tasting (called a “cupping”), and a night of tasty jams and jellies.

“We want to play a vital role in the community by offering a unique service,” Clara explains.

One new event they already have in place is a weekly Sunday brunch that features food from a different region or country each week. The Schutte family is from South Africa and has spent years traveling, so they want to bring cuisine from many cultures to Washington Road. For example, 18-year-old Holly Schutte, who does a lot of the baking and cooking, created a fig jam for last week’s South African themed brunch. (I am definitely headed there this Sunday.)

Orbis will also offer more snack and food options for breakfast and lunch and extended hours in the evening. But much of what made Aldo Coffee popular has stayed the same.

All of their coffees, except the house blend, are single-origin, meaning they come from one geographic region or farm. And the beans arrive via Intelligentsia, a company famous for its direct trade policies, where the beans come right from the farmer, and the money goes directly back.

The shop now offers various merchandise from Intelligentsia, and Sonja hopes to offer more retail in the shop. Clara reveals to me later that her mom really hopes to turn one side of the shop into a travel bookstore. (A coffee shop/bookstore, I nearly gushed at the thought, especially when Clara adds, “like the book shop in Notting Hill.”)

Though I’ve had a chai nearly every time I’ve been in the shop, I let the Schutte family chose my next drink. They give me a tea I’ve never tried called a 3-3-3 served in a small yellow tea pot with a brown-spotted cup.

Each of the Schuttes chimes in with an ingredient, and I eventually deduce that the tea’s comprised of chamomile, roes hips, and peppermint. While I’ve never liked an herbal tea before, I am swooning for this subtly minty blend.

Orbis Caffe, 675 Washington Road. Mt. Lebanon. 412.563.1220.