Inside Pre Amp Coffee Studio in Pittsburgh. All images courtesy of Danny Ryan / Pre Amp Coffee Studio.
Pre Amp Coffee Studio, a new coffee-and-vinyl concept from the Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group, opened in November, blending specialty coffee service with the energy of a listening bar.
Inside the narrow, high-ceilinged room in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood, warm gold tones, vintage-style lighting and a wall of album art set the backdrop for conversation and music. Vinyl records spin throughout the day, with customers listening from bar stools, tables and lounge seating.
“Our design concept was inspired by Japanese vinyl cafes and classic retro diners,” Pre Amp Co-Owner Danny Ryan recently told Daily Coffee News. “We specifically wanted the coffee bar to feel open and inviting, which is why we chose the Modbar system. This setup keeps the counter clean and allows the bar to resemble a traditional cocktail bar, but one where the focus is entirely on meticulously crafting coffee, while spinning vinyl records.”
Ryan, who started working in coffee more than 15 years ago while living in New York City, said the community cafe concept has been years in the making.
“My family and I made the decision to move from NYC to Pittsburgh in 2020 specifically to start our own coffee shop, though the pandemic began right when we arrived,” Ryan said. “Fast forward five years later, and I have the coffee shop of my dreams right here in Pittsburgh.”
Pre Amp is co-owned by Ryan, Richard DeShantz and Tolga Sevdik, and represents the first dedicated coffee concept from the Richard DeShantz Restaurant Group. The new brand embraces lessons learned from across the group’s restaurant portfolio, while it is also tasked with managing the coffee programs at two popular sibling brunch spots: Co-op de Ville and and Sally Ann’s.
Coffee at Pre Amp comes from Passenger Coffee in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Ryan said the supply relationship is rooted in both flavor and sourcing rigor.
“Passenger was the brand that first opened my eyes to the incredible natural flavors that can be present in coffee,” Ryan said. “Beyond the taste, we value their excellent relationships with farmers and their stringent quality control processes.”
Ryan also pointed to Passenger’s long-running practice of freezing green coffee for longer-term storage, which can allow roasters to bend the concept of seasonality or revisit past harvests across multiple years.
“They maintain an incredibly diverse list of coffees that they roast, ensuring we can feature a variety of exciting and different beans throughout the year,” Ryan said.
The menu includes classic espresso-based drinks, pourovers and a lineup of house specialties, including the Smokey Robinson (local honey, smoked sea salt, cinnamon and peppercorn), the Yuzu Espresso Tonic and a house take on a caramel macchiato called Pre Amp’s Dulce de Leche.
A Mahlkönig EK43 grinds for drip and pourover brews, a Mahlkönig E65 grinds for decaf espresso and a La Marzocco Swan grinds caffeinated espresso before it heads to the Modbar.
Beyond beverages, the shop plans to keep its food program flexible, rotating concepts every few months. The current offering leans into Italian-style sandwiches and sides with fresh focaccia.
“We will be hosting future dinner pop-ups and coffee classes in the space in 2026,” Ryan said. “Our goal is to keep finding ways to bring the best coffee and experience to Pittsburgh.”
Pre-Amp Coffee Studio is located at 5840 Forbes Ave in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Daria Toptygina
Daria Toptygina is a freelance writer, avid coffee lover and social media manager of Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine.
