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Philz Coffee releases new matcha lineup. Jul 17 2026 Philz Coffee is entering an exciting new category with the launch of four new handcrafted matcha beverages. The lineup includes four vibrant signature drinks with playful flavors, each handcrafted to order with Philz's personalized approach that customers know and love. Each drink layers Philz's matcha, sourced from Uji, Japan, one of the world's most renowned matcha-growing regions, with oat milk and sweetness. Customers can opt for additional flavors layered in, stirring for a blended sip, or enjoy each flavor as it naturally unfolds. Available in a 16oz iced version only, the four new matcha beverages include: * Iced Matcha - Matcha layered over sweetened oat milk, for a creamy, earthy classic * Priced at $6.50 * Strawberry Matcha - Fresh strawberry purée and sweetened oat milk added to matcha for a bright, fruity favorite * Priced at $7.50 * Strawberry Mint Matcha - Layers of fresh strawberry puree, sweetened oat milk, and matcha, topped with Philz's signature mint * Priced at $7.50 * Salted Caramel Matcha - Rich caramel mixed with sweetened oat milk, matcha, and a sprinkle of sea salt for a perfectly balanced indulgence * Priced at $7.50 The drinks are designed to be served cold and may be customized with the customer's preferred sweetness level and milk option (oat as the default, with 2% also available) at no extra charge. Philz drinks are always served by baristas who aim to ensure each order is perfect. "Our top two requests from customers over the years have been a rewards program and matcha. With the successful launch of our Philz Rewards program last year, we turned our efforts to matcha. We wanted to introduce it in a way that feels unmistakably Philz," said Andy Mai, Chief Business Officer. "By pairing quality ingredients and bold flavors in a customizable way, our matcha feels both approachable and playful." Philz Coffee's matcha menu is now available at all 80-plus locations in California and Chicago. It's available in-store and to order ahead via the Philz app, home to the Philz Rewards loyalty program.

California-founded Philz Coffee is coming to Elk Grove shopping center. July 4, 2026 7:00 AM Gift Article A Philz Coffee is coming to Elk Grove as the California franchise continues to expand across the Sacramento region. Operating at 8170 Elk Grove Blvd., the coffee shop will have its grand opening on July 8. The walk-in cafe will be located in The Village, a new Elk Grove shopping center that spans 127,000 square feet. Patti Nelson, the chief development officer of Philz Coffee, said The Village was selected following fan demand. She said that Philz Coffee is "thrilled" to be a part of the new shopping center. "The community of Elk Grove is a perfect place for Philz expansion across Sacramento with its strong residential and growing daytime workforce," Nelson said. "This location offers excellent visibility and co-tenancy, allowing us to better serve both local residents and visitors." The Village opened to Elk Grove residents and the broader Sacramento community this year. It is anchored by Whole Foods Market and Barnes & Noble. Just in time for the Elk Grove opening, Philz has rolled out new summer menu items including peanut butter cup and s'mores cold brews, featured on its website. Philz Coffee opened in 2003 in the Mission District of San Francisco and has grown to 82 locations, primarily in California. It also has some locations in Chicago, according to its online profile. There are three locations within the Sacramento area. They are: * 1725 R St. in Midtown. * 4680 Freeport Blvd. in South Land Park. * 521 2nd St. in Davis. Philz Coffee Elk Grove will open July 8 at 5:30 a.m. and close at 4 p.m., according to the release. The coffee will have special weekend hours, opening at 6 a.m. and closing at 4 p.m. The Sacramento Bee Emma Hall covers retail and business for The Sacramento Bee. Hall graduated from Sacramento State and Diablo Valley College. She is Blackfeet and Cherokee.

Philz Coffee faces backlash over pride flag removal. Petition from baristas alleges nearly 60 stores were told to remove Pride flags and displays as CEO defends the move. Philz Coffee is facing backlash after directing its shops to remove Pride flags and related decor from in-store displays. A petition launched on Change.org by individuals claiming to be Philz baristas alleges the coffee chain ordered Pride flags removed from nearly 60 stores across California and Illinois, saying the directive has "left many team members and customers feeling confounded and unsupported." "The pride flags within the stores hold deep meaning and value to both staff and visitors, symbolizing that these locations are safe and welcoming spaces for all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity," the petition states. "Removing these flags risks alienating a core group of team members and loyal customers who see Philz not just as a coffee shop, but as a place where they are embraced and celebrated for who they are." The petition asks the chain to reconsider its decision and reinstate the Pride flags, which were once a common sight inside many Philz locations, alongside other banners expressing support for movements like Black Lives Matter. It has garnered more than 6,400 verified signatures. CEO Mahesh Sadarangani confirmed in a statement to San Francisco CW affiliate KRON that the chain is pushing for the removal of Pride flags and other decor, but the company's "longstanding support of the LGBTQIA+ community is unchanged." "We are working toward creating a more consistent, inclusive experience across all our stores, including removing a variety of flags and other decor," he said. "This is a change in how our stores look, not in who we are. Our allyship runs deeper than what is on our walls. It shows up in who we hire, how we treat one another and in our annual Pride Month Unity celebration, which returns this June as it has every year. Unity is fundamental to how we operate." A manager at a San Francisco Philz Coffee shop told KRON that, at a recent company summit, Sadarangani encouraged stores to consider whether in-store displays make all customers feel included, but left decisions up to individual locations. The manager said the message may have been interpreted differently across stores. Some employees at other locations told KRON they have not been asked to remove Pride flags, pointing to a lack of a consistent, centralized policy on in-store displays. It remains unclear what prompted Sadarangani to urge stores to reconsider which flags or banners are displayed. As reported by the LGBTQ news outlet them, people on the San Francisco subreddit claiming to be workers or patrons lambasted the new restrictions on flag displays, speculating whether the move stems from the company's new ownership or efforts to make Philz a more "cookie-cutter" chain with identical decor across locations. The San Francisco-based chain was acquired last August by private equity firm Freeman Spogli for $145 million, with Sadarangani expressing hope the deal would allow Philz to expand and open new locations, as reported by Restaurant Dive at the time. California State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who is running for Congress, posted a video to Instagram criticizing the move, noting that Philz got its start in San Francisco's Mission District. "[Philz] was an amazing small business, great coffee, really cool baristas. And then, unfortunately, got acquired by private equity," Wiener says in the video. "And so now Metro Weekly has this private equity firm coming into San Francisco, and trying to say that its Philz Coffee locations can't have a Pride flag. That is really gross. "It shows, once again, the importance of small businesses that actually know a community, are rooted in a community, and are attuned to that community, as opposed to giant corporations that honestly don't care. We have an atmosphere in this country where the LGBTQ community is under assault, and we need our business community to stand with LGBTQ people. And that means more small businesses, and more small businesses that actually get the community that they're in."