OTR welcomes anticipated new coffee shop to the neighborhood
0 Comments · Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Owners Dave Hart and Dustin Miller had
always dreamed of opening a coffee shop together. Lifelong friends and
Ohio natives, the two spent a few years on separate journeys living in
and being inspired by different states along the West Coast and working
in multiple restaurants and cafes along the way.
by Stefanie Kremer
11.15.2012
They have been
talking about it since they were 15 years old. Now, about 15 years later, all it took was an evening
stroll through some back alleys on the way to The
Famous Neons Unplugged in Over-the-Rhine to stumble across the
perfect spot for their new start-up, Collective Espresso.Owners Dave Hart and
Dustin Miller had always dreamed of opening a coffee shop together. Lifelong
friends and Ohio natives, the two spent a few years
on separate journeys living in and being inspired by different
states along the West Coast and working in multiple restaurants and cafes along
the way.
"We kind of just
moved to Cincinnati with the plan that we would figure it out," Hart
explained nonchalantly as he reached for a cup and saucer behind the
bar. Cold November rain
fell outside during our interview, but the coffee and conversation warmed the already cozy shop
as I sat comfortably on a stool that Hart and Miller hand-made, at the rustic
bar that they crafted out of an old barn door. Just like the
simplicity of the shop's design, Miller explained that it's their goal to very
simply, "make great coffee taste great."
"There are a lot
of great natural things happening in this coffee," Miller explained, joining Hart behind the bar. "It's our job as baristas to make it look and
taste awesome. We want the coffee to speak for itself."
The shop, on the brink of
opening, will mainly serve Deeper Roots Coffee — which is local — and
Quills Coffee from Louisville, Ky. However, since they have a multiple
roaster format, they are excited that they have the freedom to serve anything
that piques their interest.
I watched in awe as
the duo made the perfect cup of coffee through a process known as the
drip method. This procedure takes about two and a half minutes and is performed
through several steps in a homemade set-up resembling a science
lab experiment.
"Each cup
of coffee is made-to-order," Hart explained as he
smelled the complex aroma from the coffee. "We don't want
to be so slow that it's frustrating to get a cup of coffee here, but
we like the idea of people being able to chill out for a
few minutes and have a real coffee experience."
There are many ways
to get your caffeine fix at Collective Espresso including espresso,
macchiatos, cortado, cappuccino, lattes and mochas. The average price for a
drink is $2.50-$3.50.
Although they
recognized some great coffee shops that Cincinnati already has to offer, Hart
explained that they thought the Cincinnati coffeehouse scene was missing
something — Collective Espresso. With seating arranged in a
bar-like fashion, the shop provides a welcoming atmosphere to stop
in, have a cup of coffee over the daily news (CityBeat, of course) and meet or catch up with neighbors.
"If people are
as dorky about coffee as we are, we also want to be a place where people can
explore different brew methods and learn about different coffees," Miller
added.
Just as the perfect cup of
coffee takes time, the finishing touches are being put on Collective
Espresso. The shop, located at 207 Woodward St., (off Main Street) is
expected to open very soon.