American Grammar Opens in Philadelphia, Pa.

American Grammar, a coffee shop and bookstore with a curated selection of around 500 titles, opened earlier this summer in Philadelphia, Pa., Billy Penn reported.

Located at 2046 N Front St. in the city's Kensington neighborhood, the shop spans 1,600 square feet and features a book inventory focused on American authors and themes of social and environmental justice. Terrance Wiley, who owns and operates the store alongside his wife, Terri Wiley, told BP that the guiding question was: "What constitutes America, what is an American, and what do you have to know to understand what an American is?"

The Wileys, who are both educators, opened the bookstore and coffee shop in late June. They plan to host a variety of events, including a monthly writing workshop, Saturday storytime sessions, a reading group, and music and poetry performances. Most of the art displayed in American Grammar is for sale, and in early October the store will host an exhibition of work by a group of local architects who are all people of color.

Since they were undergrads in college, Terri and Terrance Wiley have wanted to create a space that fosters creative and intellectual energy. Their initial idea was to have a bookstore with literacy and mentorship programs, but eventually they decided on the coffee shop and bookstore route.

In 2021, they were planning to open in a space in Philly's Allegheny West neighborhood, until they learned the building had massive leaking problems. Though it took "a little while to regroup," Terrance Wiley said, they found the right space.