Navy Yard location marks the first brick-and-mortar store for the specialty coffee maker.
PHILADELPHIA, PA | December 15, 2025 – Ensemble/Mosaic today announced that Happy Bear Coffee Company (Happy Bear) has signed a lease to open its flagship café and wine bar at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, reinforcing the momentum of the district’s transformation into a mixed-use community. Happy Bear will lease 3,036 square feet on the ground floor of the multi-tenant lab building at 1201 Normandy Place, located between Central Green Park and Chapel Plaza.
The concept features specialty coffee and a curated wine bar, alongside a refined menu of sandwiches, breakfast items, soups, salads, flatbreads, tomato pie, and other chef-inspired grab-and-go offerings, crafted through one of their culinary partnerships with Carlino’s Specialty Foods, a Philadelphia suburban-based company. Construction is scheduled to begin later this year, with the opening planned for early 2026.
“Happy Bear represents the type of dynamic, community-focused retail that will define the Navy Yard as it enters its next phase of growth,” said Nelson Way, Vice President of Leasing and Development, Ensemble. “Its location at 1201 Normandy places it at the heart of our new retail corridor, and below a bustling life science building. It’s just steps from green space and future residences and helps set the tone for a vibrant neighborhood experience.”
The café marks Happy Bear’s first brick-and-mortar location, expanding upon the success of its two-year-old online specialty coffee store, helmed by co-founders Dan Kredensor and Frank Orman. Happy Bear’s design will feature indoor seating and an outdoor space overlooking the lush five-acre Central Green Park, providing a versatile setting for morning coffee, a quick lunch, or an evening glass of wine.
“We wanted to create a place that feels like a daily ritual and a small retreat all in one,” said Kredensor. “With Carlino’s expertise as one of our culinary partners, we’re building a café that brings together wonderful specialty coffee, great flavors, and a welcoming atmosphere, right in the heart of the Navy Yard’s most exciting new district.”
Founded in 2023 by longtime friends Dan Kredensor and Frank Orman, Happy Bear emerged from a shared passion for exploring Philadelphia’s café culture during their college years. After pursuing careers in tech and music, respectively, the pair reunited to launch an online coffee business built on quality, community, and a spirit of joy. Today, Happy Bear has grown into a hospitality-driven brand offering specialty coffee, wine, and food experiences, with a mission to create spaces where people connect.
Every purchase also supports community well-being through its commitment to donate 5% of proceeds to causes selected by customers, ranging from local initiatives to environmental programs.
This milestone comes as Ensemble/Mosaic, in partnership with the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC), advances its 20-year master plan for the Navy Yard. The plan includes the first residential project in the site’s history, AVE Navy Yard, a $285 million mixed-use development by brought to life by AVE, a division of Korman Communities, in partnership with Ensemble/Mosaic opening in 2026. The development features 614 apartments and 25,000 square feet of retail. As Happy Bear prepares to open its first brick-and-mortar location this spring, its arrival will further enhance this next phase of growth, introducing a signature food and beverage destination that will elevate daily life for Navy Yard employees, residents, and visitors alike.
About Happy Bear Coffee Company Happy Bear Coffee Company is a hospitality-driven group founded on a passion for coffee, wine, and food, with a mission to create welcoming spaces that bring people together. Every purchase at Happy Bear Coffee also supports community well-being through its commitment to donate 5% of proceeds to causes chosen by customers, ranging from local initiatives to environmental programs.
About Ensemble/Mosaic Ensemble/Mosaic is a joint venture between Ensemble Investments, LLC and Mosaic Development Partners JV. The partnership is the exclusive developer of a 109-acre mixed-use development at the Navy Yard in Philadelphia, including office, life science, retail, hospitality and the first residential complex to be built in the community. Ensemble/Mosaic, in partnership with PIDC, directed the creation of the 2022 Navy Yard Comprehensive Plan. Ensemble/Mosaic has pledged $1B over 20 years to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) hiring and initiatives. Ensemble Investments, LLC, established in 1989 and with offices in Long Beach, California, Philadelphia and Phoenix, has successfully invested and developed more than $2 billion in real estate across the United States. Mosaic Development Partners JV is a Philadelphia-based, minority-certified (MBE) commercial real estate development firm established in 2008. Mosaic focuses on ground up development and adaptive reuse of land and buildings. For more information, visit http://www.ensemblemosaic.com, www.ensemble.net, and www.mosaicdp.com
About PIDC and the Philadelphia Navy Yard PIDC is Philadelphia’s public-private economic development corporation. Since acquiring the 1,200-acre site from the federal government in 2000, PIDC has been the master developer and site operator of the Navy Yard. PIDC’s mission—to spur investment, support business growth, and facilitate developments that create jobs, revitalize neighborhoods, and drive growth to every corner of Philadelphia—strongly informs its strategy for the Navy Yard, where the focus is on building a cohesive community that fosters employment, innovation, and production. PIDC manages all aspects of the property’s management and development, including master planning, leasing, property management, infrastructure development, utility operation, and structuring development transactions. For more information, please visit www.pidcphila.com|www.navyyard.org.
