It's finally official: Northside to get first Crazy Mocha

Zeff said that he had been looking at putting a Crazy Mocha on the Northside for five or six years, and had looked at locations on E. Ohio Street, Western Avenue and the Garden Theater block of North Avenue, but that nothing had worked out until now.

He said that having the new Carnegie Library and new housing developments on Federal Street would help not only Crazy Mocha’s business, but also future development in the area.

“Once all that stuff happens it’s only a matter of time before the Garden Theater block gets developed,” Zeff said.

Construction on the new store started in the middle of July, and the building needs a lot of work –including new windows and roof, brick pointing, painting, bathrooms, electricity, plumbing and a new floor.

“There’s really nothing that can be salvaged,” he added, except an interior brick wall that faces Allegheny General Hospital.

Two to three weeks before opening, Zeff said they will put a sign in the window to let the neighborhood know the coffee shop is hiring.

“We want people who live in the neighborhood to work in the neighborhood,” he said. “We love being in neighborhoods.”

The first Crazy Mocha opened on Ellsworth Avenue in Shadyside in 2000, and the Northside location will be its 25th location, Zeff said.