Philippe's 9-Cent Coffee Soon to Be History

I've mentioned it before.

My dad took me to Philippe's when I was a kid. I took PJ Media editor David Swindle there last September.

Now here's the news at Los Angeles Times, "End of an era: Philippe's raising price on 9-cent cup of coffee":

Philippe’s is best known for its legendary French dip sandwiches. But for regulars, nothing speaks to the eatery's historic L.A. feel than the 9-cent coffee on the menu. And the one extra cent of tax.

Since 1977, the legion of longtime customers at the Alameda Street restaurant had grown accustomed to putting a dime on the counter and getting a hot cup of coffee in return.

But on Wednesday, management posted a sign on the door that came as a surprise: Starting Feb. 2, the price of an eight-ounce brew is going up 400% — to 45 cents.

They say the price of coffee is such that the restaurant no longer can keep the price so low.

“It’s been a tradition,” said Mark Massengill, whose family has run the restaurant for four generations. “We’ve always tried to provide a tremendous value in the food and coffee.”

And, he said, coffee will become included in the price of a breakfast and, even after the hike, two quarters for a coffee is still a bargain.

Patrons didn’t balk at the new price. Many said they were surprised it has stayed low for so long. It’s just that not much at Philippe’s has changed over the decades. And when things do, the customers notice.