When La Colombe opened its doors just past Frankford and Mercer at the tail end of 2014, it seemed as though Fishtown had found its undisputed sovereign leader of all things coffee.

Coupled with the nearly simultaneous closing of beloved neighborhood staple Lola Bean in January, La Colombe’s high ceilings, bright lights, and steely ambiance of the neighborhood’s flagship caffeine station seemed particularly glaring. With $28.5 million in venture capitalist funding and the blueprints for up to 100 new locations up the eastern seaboard, it’s safe to say that La Colombe is a permanent fixture. But for those of us who prefer a distinctly quainter environment to drink coffee, the good-willed, entrepreneurial spirit of two local business owners provides a glimmer of hope.

Incarnate Coffee is the epitome of “small business.” Pioneered by multimedia artist Adesola Ogunleye and management professional Gia Parker, Incarnate stands by a simple-yet-heartfelt philosophy: Anyone can make good coffee, but it takes time and dedication to refine a comfortable atmosphere that attracts repeat customers.

Part of that atmosphere comes from a deep affinity for the local art scene. Both have a self-professed love for the “weird and quirky,” having made countless creatives from the Philadelphia area who struggle to draw attention to their artwork.

“My goal for our shops is to [provide] that area for minorities and women who don’t get the chance to speak loud through their work,” Ogunleye said. “To be represented, even if it’s on our four small walls, someone will always bear witness to their labor of love.”

Ogunleye was quick to name-drop a host of her favorites, many of whom are Fishtown institutions: Life of Tie (who repurpose men’s neckties into female jewelry), Harriet’s Gun Media, The Art Dept. (on Berks and Tulip Streets), the Philadelphia Sculpture Gym, Ryan Psota, and tattoo artists Resp and Matt Kerley (who contributed rewards to the coffeeshop’s Indiegogo campaign).

The duo are relying on like-minded neighborhood folk to pick up their grassroots banner. With a commitment to buying local and community integration, the pair is fully armed to battle the tide of corporate coffee. They certainly aren’t ones to mince words when it comes to their mission, either: Ogunleye is quick to assert people’s mistrust in the encroaching “corporate monster.”

“It’s about quality over profit,” she said. “We emphasize the technical aspect so that our customers can not only enjoy being in a warm, inviting atmosphere, but also to know they don’t have to sacrifice taste and options just because they aren’t at a chain.”

Ogunleye’s customers have an even more vital value to her business:

“They are more than just a means to an end. If we lose [our] customers, we lose our credibility and our heart…which is this neighborhood.”

There’s a sense of pride that comes with the owners’ fearless regionalism.

“We [and the other smaller shops in the neighborhood] do very different things than La Colombe, and each other,” Parker said. “Most places and people coming [to Fishtown] are here to make a home, [rather than] trying to leech the neighborhood of its resources. There’s no need for the superfluous crap. It distracts the customers from the poor quality of goods and the high prices they are paying for them.”

Incarnate subscribes to a brand of business that is equally reliant on technicality as it is on sentimentality. They want to brew coffee that is, by all standards, top-notch—it’s their surefire way of retaining customers.

Their roster will include drip and pour-over coffee, espresso, chemex brews, and iced teas with one common denominator: Most items will be bought locally. Square One Coffee, based in Lancaster, will provide the backbone of the Incarnate menu, with a host of other national brands creeping into the lineup on a weekly or monthly rotation. Honeypie Cooking, founded in California’s Bay Area but relocated to Philly in 2012, will also provide fresh breakfast and lunch options.

“[Buying local] keeps the city and surrounding areas commercially viable,” Parker said when speaking to the standards of these sister businesses. “It gives us a level of security regarding accountability and quality.”

Funded in part by an Indiegogo campaign, the pair managed to raise just over $3,000 (which was sparse considering their goal was set at $18,000) to contribute to securing their location at Coral and Sergeant Streets, complete renovations and furnishing, and apply for a business license.

Response to the fundraising may have fallen short in cash, but the pair recognizes that it was never meant to be the definitive answer to funding their business; rather, it was an opportunity to drum up good press, and allowed them to network with other neighborhood staples.

The 61 campaign contributors who did catch on walked away with an armful of perks and memorabilia, including handwritten thank-you notes, stickers, prints from local artists, and coupons for free drinks.

Above all else, Parker and Ogunleye are leaning heavily on the strong community spirit of Fishtown. In an area fraught with the implications of gentrification, the pair is quick to reflect on what it means to be a resident.

“People [moving in] are really about respecting the neighborhood, and the people and places that are here, while still adding to it,” Parker said. “It is a place that isn’t about tearing down the neighborhood like you see happening in a lot of Philly.”

Ogunleye agreed:

“[Fishtown] is growing while keeping its identity,” she said. “It’s just home, and comforting, and that’s why we decided to have a business here.”

Incarnate Coffee plans to be open to the public later in 2015. They can be followed on Instagram and Facebook for updates.