Meet the local business serving iced coffee at Citizens Bank Park this season

It’s long overdue, but Citizens Bank Park now has an in-house coffee vendor.

Many Hands Coffee Co., a Philadelphia-based profit-sharing business, will operate a truck outside section 114 near the First Base Gate at Citizens Bank Park. There will be a little bit of everything for all coffee lovers, from hot or iced coffee and cold brew to specialty drinks, such as the Graham Slam latte.

The truck will debut at the Phillies’ home opener on Monday. It’s the first time concessions operator Aramark and Citizens Bank Park have had a local coffee partner.

“A lot of it is going to be feeling it out, but also just trusting that people want coffee,” Miles Butler, co-owner and special events coordinator for Many Hands, said. “I love coffee, and a lot of people do.”

Many Hands was founded in early 2020. The original plan for the business was to operate a truck at Love Park in Center City, but the COVID-19 shutdown nixed that. Now, Many Hands travels around the Philadelphia area serving coffee at high capacity events, such as the Penn Relays, Broad Street Run and Head of the Schuylkill Regatta. They also run a table top stand for workers and performers backstage at the Wells Fargo Center and Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, N.J.

The ownership group that runs Many Hands operates Germantown Espresso Bar in Northwest Philadelphia. The company also sells its signature roasts online and is a wholesale partner to local coffee shops and retailers such as Kimberton Wholefoods.

The focus this summer is on Citizens Bank Park. Is the staff prepared to serve thousands of Phillies fans?

“We are not strangers to long lines,” Butler said. “Penn Relays is over 100,00 people on site, so we’ll have a line of 100 people for eight hours. Honestly, it’s kind of a shorter version of it. Then, we’ll just be able to rock the line. Any person after they order is not going to be waiting longer than three minutes.”

The madness is all for a good cause. Many Hands will donate a portion of its profits to Phillies Charities Inc. In the past, they have donated to charitable organizations such as Mural Arts Philly and Rock to the Future, which provides “free, student-driven music programs for Philadelphia youth in under-resourced areas.”

“That’s just how we do business,” Butler said. “We know we can be successful as a business while also doing really good work throughout the region.”

As for what to expect when you get your hands on a cup of Many Hands, the company only sources fair trade and Bryce Harper-approved organic coffee. All syrups used are also organic and the dairy comes from local farms in Lancaster County. Many Hands also plans to shake up the menu for each homestand and introduce new specialty drinks throughout the season.

“We’re really seeking to understand as transparent as we can, where the coffee is coming from,” Butler said. “Within our name Many Hands Coffee Co., we love to say we celebrate the many hands it takes to make a delicious cup of coffee, while also celebrating the many hands it takes to make a community.”

Many Hands is in “early talks” with the Phillies about serving players and coaches before the game. Butler has heard that the Phillies are one of the most “beaned up” teams in Major League Baseball.

“If there’s interest, we’ll happily drop off a case of cold brew during batting practice,” Butler said. “Who knows how our caffeine will help.”