Prince Street Cafe York & Columbia to Transition to Denim Coffee
Prince Street Cafe Marks 20 Years in Lancaster; York and Columbia Cafes to Transition to Denim Coffee
LANCASTER, PA — August 24, 2026 — Twenty years after Crystal Weaver opened the first Prince Street Cafe in downtown Lancaster, Commons Company has reached an agreement to transfer ownership of its York and Columbia cafes to Denim Coffee, a Pennsylvania cafe operator and specialty coffee roaster. The locations will rebrand as Denim Coffee under new ownership.
The transition, effective September 16th, will allow Commons Company to focus more of its time and resources on its Lancaster businesses, including the original Prince Street Cafe, Passenger Coffee and Tea and Merrymaker Catering.
Twenty Years on Prince Street
Crystal Weaver founded Prince Street Cafe on North Prince Street in September 2006. Over the past two decades, it has become a gathering place and neighborhood anchor for Lancaster residents, students, visitors and downtown workers.
“Twenty years is a long time to do anything, and it means a lot when you’ve done it in the same place, alongside the same community,” said Weaver, founder of Prince Street Cafe and co-owner of Commons Company. “Lancaster has given us a lot to celebrate. This anniversary is a chance to remember why we started and to be clear about where we’re going. Putting our energy into the original cafe, Passenger and our home here in Lancaster feels right.”
A New Chapter for York and Columbia
Commons Company opened the York cafe in September 2019 as Prince Street Cafe expanded its regional footprint. The Columbia cafe followed in February 2023. In the years since, each has developed its own regulars, its own rhythms and its own place in the community—making the choice of a new operator especially important.
Running a cafe well at the scale Commons was operating required a choice: keep growing the regional footprint or focus. Commons chose focus. The York cafe will transition first, with Columbia following approximately one month later. Both locations will operate as Denim Coffee following their respective transitions.
Denim Coffee, 15 Years of Specialty Coffee Experience and a mission to Make Better Coffee
Denim Coffee, founded by Matt and Kristin Ramsay in 2011, was the clear fit for York and Columbia. With 9 specialty coffee locations across Central Pennsylvania, Denim has the experience, scale and vision to run these cafes effectively. Like Prince Street Cafe, they are an independent company built around coffee, hospitality and long-term investment in the communities they serve.
“York and Columbia have been served well by Prince Street Cafe for years – we have an immense amount of respect for what has been created in both communities,” said Ramsay, co-owner of Denim Coffee. “It is a great honor to carry on a legacy of hospitality and care into the future.”
“We spent a lot of time thinking about the right home for these cafes,” said Kyle Sollenberger, co-owner of Commons Company. “Denim understands the work: take care of the team, take care of the guests and be a good neighbor. Matt and his team care about those things in the way that matters. York and Columbia will be in good hands.”
A Renewed Focus on Lancaster
The transition will allow Commons Company to put more of its time and attention into its Lancaster businesses: continuing to build Passenger, bringing renewed energy to the original Prince Street Cafe, and investing in Merrymaker Catering. Passenger serves wholesale partners throughout the United States and a growing number of customers through its online store. Its cafes remain an important part of the company—both as a place to share its work and as a connection to the Lancaster community where Passenger began.
“We’re proud of what these businesses have become, but we also know there is a lot of work ahead,” said Sollenberger. “This transition gives us more room to do that work well—to keep building Passenger, give Prince Street Cafe the attention it deserves, and invest in the people and businesses we work alongside here in Lancaster.”
About Commons Company
Commons Company is a Lancaster-based hospitality company whose businesses include Prince Street Cafe, Passenger Coffee and Tea, and Merrymaker Catering.
About Prince Street Cafe
Founded by Crystal Weaver in 2006, Prince Street Cafe is an independent cafe and gathering place in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania. For 20 years, it has served its community through thoughtful hospitality and quality food and drink.
About Passenger Coffee and Tea
Passenger, and its sister brand Necessary Coffee Roasters, serve wholesale partners throughout the United States and a growing number of customers through its online stores. Commons plans to deepen that work by investing in Passenger’s coffee and tea programs, wholesale partnerships and direct-to-consumer business. Its Lancaster cafes remain an important place to share that work and maintain a connection to the community where Passenger began.
drinkpassenger.com / necessarycoffee.com
About Denim Coffee
Denim Coffee, a Pennsylvania specialty coffee roaster, was founded by Matt and Kristin Ramsay in 2011 and later joined by Tony Diehl in 2016 to help grow the brand digitally and through cafe expansion. The company now owns and operates nine cafes as well as their roaster, bakery production and flash chill coffee production in their headquarters in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. They invite you to visit a cafe nearby or purchase coffee online shipped to your home for a moment of beauty centered around wonderful coffees.