North Philadelphia

A cup of coffee, a second chance.

Family-owned on Old York Road. Hand-crafted coffee, tea, and fresh pastries.

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Our Story

Brewing with hope in North Philadelphia

At eighteen years old, Eugene Gilyard was sentenced to life in prison for a 1995 North Philadelphia murder he always said he didn't commit. The conviction rested on a single eyewitness identification from a photo lineup — no physical evidence ever tied him to the crime. He spent more than fifteen years behind bars holding on to his innocence.

Years into his sentence, another man confessed to the killing, and the original eyewitness asked for the case to be looked at again. With help from the Pennsylvania Innocence Project, Eugene's conviction was overturned and he came home.
"The future is ours to reclaim."
— Eugene Gilyard

In January, Eugene and his wife, Najwa Anderson, opened Freedom Coffee House on Old York Road. Najwa, an experienced barista, crafts the drinks — her hand-sifted matcha lattes have already become a neighborhood favorite. Eugene works the front of house, doing something prison once denied him entirely: sitting with people, hearing their stories, and building a business of his own from the ground up.

The two of them raise and homeschool their children together, and they're clear about what drives the shop day to day — faith, family, and the belief that no matter how dark a chapter gets, the next one is still unwritten. Every cup poured here carries a little of that conviction, and a hope that it might spark a conversation about wrongful convictions along the way.


As Featured In

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Come sit with us

Address

4906 Old York Rd Philadelphia, PA 19141

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Hours

Monday – Sunday
7:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Phone

(267) 441-2131

Instagram

@freedomcoffeehousepa