Dig the change out of the couch – coffee is going up from nine to forty-five cents at Philippe's.

The price of a cup of coffee at the world-famous Philippe’s in downtown Los Angeles will soon be going up 500%. But don’t panic – that just means a mug of their hot joe will now set you back a whopping 45¢. I believe that’s the cost of just one coffee stirrer at Starbucks.

Philippe’s is most famous for their fantastic French dipped sandwiches, but their inexpensive coffee is pretty well known, too. And no wonder, when you could plunk down one thin dime – nine cents for the coffee plus one cent for tax – on their well-worn counter and enjoy your caffeine fix. “My grandfather said, ‘I always wanted everyone to be able to afford a cup of coffee’,” Philippe’s general manager Richard Binder says on their website.

The reason for the price hike – a cup will actually come to fifty-cents including five-cents for tax – is the rising cost of coffee globally. But it’s not like the iconic eatery makes a habit out of raising prices – the last time they increased the price of its coffee was 35 years ago in 1977, from 5 to 9 cents.  “It’s a tradition-bound restaurant,” said manager Mark Massengill, whose family has owned and operated Philippe’s for four generations. “Changing prices on the menu is not taken lightly. We took a lot of time considering the change.”

But even with the price bump, Philippe’s still remains one of the best values in town. A breakfast – two eggs, potatoes and toast – to accompany that fifty-cent cup of coffee will only cost you $4.75, while one of their famous beef dip sandwiches will fill you up and lighten your wallet of only $6.  Which means, if you give the cashier a ten you’d still have enough left over for eight cups of coffee. That might just get you through the first half of the morning.

Philippe The Original
1001 N. Alameda St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 628-3781

Hours: 6 a.m.-10 p.m. daily

When she isn’t spending way too much time thinking about coffee, Marsha can be found at Sweatpantsmom.com

Photo: Flickr | MargaretNapier