Playing The Host: A Kid-Friendly Tour of Columbus (Pt. 2)

A bloom hangs on against the impending winter cold at Columbus's Park of Roses

As noted in the last blogpost, we don't get to play host very often to family members, so when we do it becomes a special occasion, especially when there are kids (in this case, a 10- and a 13-year old) involved. This kid-friendly (though, in reality, an all-ages-friendly) excursion continues in this blogpost with another German Village staple.

Three of a Perfect Fare: Luck Bros. Coffee

If one takes out a marker to a map, one will see it’s not too hard to divide up Columbus underrated local and Ohio-based coffee riches into compact threesomes. In Downtown alone, there are three such easy-to-roam-among shop triplets available (Winan’s, Red Velvet Cafe & Hemingway's Coffee Nook; Cup O Joe, One Line Coffee Huntington Center, and the original Cafe Brioso; and Stauf’s View on Grant, Roosevelt Coffeehouse, and Brioso Roastery.)
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The residents in and close to Grandview Heights also have a similar three-fer option. Two such places are basically just down the block from each other and the subjects of prior blog posts in Grandview Grind and the flagship Stauf’s.

The other is a nice brisk walk down Grandview and a left on 1st Avenue, but more than doable if you’re in any decent physical shape (I’ve done it myself.) This other destination, Luck Bros Coffee House, is also a bit of a surprise in that I’ve never blogged about them before despite numerous visits prior, and I figured it was time to fix that oversight.

It's Not The Journey, But The Destination That Matters

The above photo highlights one of the first times I got to sample the creations of Columbus' "Donut Queen" aka Heather Morris, owner and force behind Destination Donuts.

At that time, Columbus (a very under-the-radar donut town, if I do say so myself) had little in the way of more fancy donut creations, and Morris saw the opportunity in the market for her more upscale, gourmet creations. Her pop-up made regular appearances at the North Market, and her creations were just starting to make her way out to local shops like The Hills Market and Luck Brothers Coffee in Grandview Heights. The locations she regularly stopped weren't necessarily easy for us to get to in those days, but we made it a point to grab her inventive flavor creations like Raspberry Hibiscus, Thai Peanut and Caramel Apple. Even better: the simpler flavors like her Dueling Vanilla and her vegan creations are equally as flavorful and addicting as those fancier models.

Conscience With Your Coffee: The Roosevelt Coffeehouse

I had written about the socially-minded Roosevelt Coffeehouse, founded by Kenny Sipes, early in my blogging career back in November 2014, and well before they actually opened to the public six months later in April 2015.

As it turns out, Roosevelt has done just fine for itself, celebrating a second anniversary this year with much fanfare.  With the addition to the metro of similar coffee-focused/charitable ventures (Bottoms Up, the one-year old cafe in Franklinton focused on infant mortality, as well as the still evolving South Columbus-oriented Community Grounds on Parsons Avenue), I figured this was as a good a time as any to do a followup post detailing how Roosevelt has evolved.

Coming Attractions: The Roosevelt Coffeehouse

Roosevelt Coffeehouse's business front and logo

The Roosevelt Coffeehouse has a unique and noble mission; as stated on their Facebook page, this coffeehouse is "built to fight the worldwide & local injustices of hunger, unclean water, sex trafficking, and slavery." After being on the local dining radar in concept since early 2014, the opening of this downtown-located non-profit business is finally within sight.

I was able to stop by for their last week's pop-up before final construction was due to start at their 300 East Long Street location and found extremely hosts and a space that promises to be a welcoming spot for visitors.

Founder Kenny Sipes was manning the pop-up on this day and was more than happy to give the details on their space and the mission of Roosevelt. As with other previous pop-ups and proceeds earned after the official opening, all proceeds earned at this pop-up will be donated to various worthy causes with an emphasis on transparency.

Sipes and his son Ethan were more than happy me and other visitors this day through the unfinished area where the main cafe space will go. This main space itself is very roomy and promises to be quite bright and sunny due to the ample window area.

As far as the coffee, Roosevelt has decided to use the beans of Stumptown Coffee out of Portland, Oregon for their brews. Recently, the coffeehouse announced that Destination Donuts will be offered at their location when they open; other items such as cupcakes and gluten-free baked goods are also in the works.

Though construction is currently in progress, fundraising to allow Roosevelt to buy some much needed equipment for daily operation is currently underway until November 17; you can score yourself a pretty nice-looking T-shirt or sweatshirt in the process. Details can be found at their Facebook page at this link here.

Coffee-lovers can look for the Roosevelt Coffeehouse to open its doors to the public sometime either late December this year or early January 2015.

Roosevelt Coffeehouse
300 E. Long St. (Downtown)
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 571-7554
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