New Multi-Roaster Coffee Shop Third Planet Opening in State College This Fall 

A longtime State College resident and coffee expert is preparing to open a new downtown shop centered on a rotating selection of light-roast, single-origin coffees from roasters across the country. 

Third Planet Coffee Brewers, a new multi-roaster coffee shop owned by State College native Frank Yeager, is currently undergoing construction at 300 S. Allen St. and is targeting a mid-October opening. 

Yeager, who has worked in the local coffee industry for nearly 15 years, said the new shop will offer coffee from multiple specialty roasters instead of relying on one exclusive supplier or roasting its own beans. 

“That really lets the menu change all the time, bring in more variety,” Yeager said.

Third Planet will open with coffees from Little Wolf Coffee in Ipswich, Massachusetts, Abracadabra Coffee Co. in Woodstock, Vermont, and Push Pull in Portland, Oregon. The shop’s multi-roaster model will allow its coffee selection to change regularly and introduce customers to roasters from different parts of the country. 

“I think these three roasters do a really great job, and they all kind of have the same philosophy behind coffee and ethos of doing lighter roasts, working with producers and farmers that treat coffee more like wine or something a little bit higher end than just something to get you caffeinated,” Yeager said. 

The shop will start off by offering lattes, cappuccinos,pour-overs, cold brew,  espresso, matcha, chai and hot chocolate, along with two specialty coffee drinks: the “Not A Pumpkin Spice Latte,” made with butternut squash, brown sugar, cinnamon and cardamom, and the “IPA Latte,” an espresso-based drink featuring barley malt and Simcoe hop syrup. 

While Third Planet will not have a full kitchen, it will offer pastries and baked goods from local businesses, including Chew Chew Bun and Cakeshop by Tati, with the potential for additional vendors in the future. 

Chew Chew Bun will supply lemon custard, ham and cheese, matcha custard and chocolate custard pastries. Cakeshop by Tati’s offerings will include croissants, savory rolls and kouign-amann, a French butter cake.

The approximately 950-square-foot shop, formerly a leasing office, will include tables, high-top seating and a lounge area. Yeager said he wants the space to combine a clean design with natural elements, artwork and other playful, “quirky” details. 

After opening, Third Planet also plans to introduce what he calls “public coffee cuppings,” potentially once or twice a month. The after-hours tastings will give customers the opportunity to sample different coffees and learn more about processing methods and the details found on coffee labels. 

Yeager got his first taste of the coffee industry at Cafe Lamont before working at Rothrock Coffee from 2015 to 2022. He later moved into a management role at Elixr before preparing to open Third Planet Coffee.

“I always knew I wanted to have my own business and do things kind of my way, more or less,” he said. “But, I wanted to really take my time and learn as much as I could, and hold every single role I could within different coffee businesses to really figure out what I wanted to do when the time came. …Within the past year or so, the timing just kind of aligned, and I was able to find a space I was happy with.”

Yeager also credited Penn State’s Small Business Development Center with helping him prepare to launch Third Planet, particularly by assisting with the development of his business plan. 

Renovations to the space are still underway, with finishing work and inspections remaining before the planned mid-October opening. Plumbing and electrical work has recently been completed, with fixtures expected to be installed next.

Yeager said updates on the opening, menu and other details will be shared through Third Planet’s website and Instagram as the business gets closer to opening.

Third Planet plans to operate from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.