If you have walked or driven lately past Locals Coffee Roastery & Cafe at 800 E. Willow Grove Ave. in Wyndmoor, you undoubtedly have seen the spectacular new mural outside on the building celebrating Wissahickon Valley Park. The artwork captures the natural beauty and character of one of the region’s most beloved landmarks.

The mural was created by artist Paul Carpenter, a 2003 graduate of Springfield Township High School who has lived in Mt. Airy for the past 14 years. Since 2009, Carpenter has completed more than 25 murals in the Philadelphia area, including projects for Temple University, the 11 pillars at Xfinity Mobile Arena, Citizens Bank Park, CBS 3 Philadelphia, Zsa’s Ice Cream in Mt. Airy, Center City District, Capital One Café in Rittenhouse and many others.

The mural at Locals took about 60 hours on site over the course of an intense week. Carpenter projected the design onto the building at night between roughly 8:30 p.m. and 1:30 a.m., then returned during the day to paint. It meant a lot of very late nights and 12- to 15-hour workdays.

“The design itself was entirely my idea,” Carpenter told the Local. “The Wissahickon is deeply personal to me. I walk my dog there every morning after dropping my son off at school, and some of my earliest memories are from exploring the park with my family.”

According to the artist, the mural celebrates the diversity and interconnectedness of the Wissahickon ecosystem. It includes Wissahickon schist, umbrella magnolia, rhododendron, mountain laurel, tulip poplar, eastern hemlock, native birds and insects and an “ouroboros,” a snake eating its own tail, as a symbol of the infinite cycle of life.

“I’ve always thought of the Wissahickon as one of Philadelphia’s greatest treasures,” Carpenter said. “It feels wild and timeless, and I wanted the mural to reflect that sense of interconnectedness and remind people how lucky we are to have something like it in our backyard.”

Scott Davis, of Wyndmoor, who owns the cafe with wife Alana, had been buying T-shirts designed by Carpenter for years. “On a whim,” Scott Davis told the Local, “I reached out and told Paul about the space and if he was willing to do a mural on the building, he could do anything he wanted. There was not much of a chance I wouldn’t love whatever it was.

“He chose his Wissahickon Park piece that is one of his designs to honor the area, and I think it fits great with the area and overall aesthetic of Locals. I’ve had a lot of people tell me how much they love it and how much they appreciate tying in the beauty of our park. The first night I happened to be there working after hours and can’t tell you how many people stopped to admire it, both walking and driving.”

Alana Davis, a former Comcast executive, and Scott Davis, a former IT professional, both gave up lucrative corporate careers to pursue one of the riskiest businesses in the country. In August of 2019, they opened Locals Coffee Roastery & Cafe at 909 E. Willow Grove Ave. in Wyndmoor, a coffee shop that was an immediate hit, thanks in part to their swoon-worthy homemade baked goods like the crumb cake, muffins and gluten-free banana bread, harmonious mates to the pumpkin pie latte.

Before long, they had a loyal following, like the Germantown Friends School mothers who would enjoy coffee, pastries and conversation after leaving their children off at school. But then came the pandemic seven months after making their coffee shop debut.

“We managed to survive,” Alana Davis said, “thanks to this amazing community that helped us through the pandemic with donations, massive food and coffee orders and amazing support.”

In fact, they were so successful that in March 2023, they moved the coffee shop to a larger space just one block away at 800 E. Willow Grove Ave., which has an additional 300 square feet. Also, since the newer location was formerly a Santander Bank branch, there is a drive-through option.

Since they were still paying on the lease at 909 E. Willow Grove Ave., however, they decided to make good use of it, and in June 2023, after a year of planning, they opened Froot Cafe there. The word “Froot” is a mash-up of Fruit and Roots (fruits and vegetables).

In the latter venture, they joined forces with longtime friend Susan McGoldrick, of Glenside, who previously had an interior design business in the area for 15 years, and her husband, Jim. The couples’ daughters have been best friends since elementary school. The McGoldricks, who felt the community was lacking a breakfast/lunch option with smoothies, fresh salads and grain bowls, have taken over the operation of Froot.

For more information, call 267-422-3165. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com.