A new cafe in Fishtown, Encanto Kicks & Coffee, offers its customers a convenient combination of caffeinated beverages and footwear, writes Ali Mohsen for Billy Penn at WHYY.

The reasoning behind the combination can be boiled down to Louis Quiles’ love for sneakers, and his wife, Aiyana’s love for coffee.

Louis’ passion and entrepreneurial flair for sneakers can be traced back to his high school days.

As he grew his relationship with his now-wife, Aiyana taught him how to make coffee and the cafe concept eventually came to fruition.

The combination is a strategic one.

“If you look at [independent] sneaker stores like this, a lot of them don’t really last,” Louis said. 

The hope is that the extra revenue from its cafe will help keep the operation more sustainable than the average sneaker store. 

The name “Encanto” pays homage to their shared Puerto Rican heritage. Its coffee menu centers on Café Oro beans imported from Puerto Rico. 

In addition to beverages, Encanto also sells pastries provided by local online bakery Simply Antojitos.

Available sneakers include those of the most popular brands, as well as limited edition sneakers.

Read more about Encanto Kicks & Coffee and its unique mix of sneakers and coffee in Billy Penn at WHYY.

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