Popular Malvern cafe and bakery The Buttery is opening a third location this fall as it continues to expand — and it’s adding a new item to its menus when it does.
The specialty coffee shop and bakery will open at the Ardmore Farmers Market in Suburban Square on Oct. 4, where it will introduce bagels to its offerings.
The move to Ardmore expands the brand’s presence from its flagship location at 233 E. King St., where it opened in the heart of Malvern in 2015. It also has a satellite outpost at the Malvern Station on SEPTA’s Paoli/Thorndale Regional Rail line, which opened last year.
“The tradition of the farmers market has always been something that we’ve loved,” said John Rhoads, who started The Buttery with his wife, Silenia Rhoads. “We’re just excited to be part of it.”
The newest location, at 120 Coulter Ave., will occupy a roughly 300-square-foot space within the market and be located near its entrance to Trader Joe’s, as well as Sushi Sei. It will have a similar menu to The Buttery’s other locations, serving the specialty coffees, scratch-made pastries, sandwiches, and breads it’s become known for. In addition to croissants, scones, and other baked goods, the Ardmore location will also serve scratch-made bagels.
This is the first foray into bagels for The Buttery and is “just something we’ve always loved, and it’s a natural extension of what we’re doing,” Rhoads said. There will be three flavors on offer: plain, everything, and French everything, which replaces onion and poppy seeds with lavender and fennel.
Bagels will be served with a veggie or plain cream cheese and will hit the menus at the Malvern locations shortly.
Rhoads likened the new location, which will offer counter service, to a “scaled-down version” of the Malvern spot. He said he imagines patrons grabbing something to eat before shopping at Trader Joe’s or picking up a coffee to carry around the market.
The decision to expand to Ardmore comes as the brand marks its 10th year in business and was “bursting at the seams” in Malvern,” he said. To support its ongoing expansion — which includes a location at 836 W. Lancaster Ave. in Bryn Mawr, planned to open in early 2026 — The Buttery opened a bakehouse in Norristown in May. The 10,000-square-foot production facility has dramatically increased its production capacity, he said.
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That isn’t the only change currently in the works. The Rhoadses have been refreshing their flagship location, work that will continue into October. Once complete, the location will have 54 seats inside and expanded outdoor seating during the warmer months.
Looking ahead, Rhoads said, “we’re looking to grow, but we’re taking it slowly.”
The Buttery-Ardmore will host a soft opening from Oct. 1-3 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in advance of its grand opening on Oct. 4. During opening weekend, it will give away a signature sable cookie to the first 100 customers each day.
The Buttery-Ardmore will be open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays.