“Let’s meet at The Coffee Shack!”
Oh dear, I thought. What could this place be? I had relocated to central Ohio several years ago for work and thought I had created my ultimate coffee shops list long ago!
But, though skeptical, I was very curious… How could I have missed a worthy spot???
The Coffee Shack has two locations, one in Heath which opened in 2018, where my meeting was to happen, and a second at Buckeye Lake (2022). The Lake location was opened as the owner, Jeff Grow, noticed an increasing number of “snowbirds” becoming year-round residents. Because the Lake is incredibly busy over the summer, Grow operates that site year round and 7 days/week for the thirteen-week summer
season. He was also aware of Intel’s breaking ground (Fall, 2022). By establishing a presence at Buckeye Lake, he is well-positioned to serve both the burgeoning year-round population at the lake, as well as the expected surge from Intel’s Ohio One tech site upon completion.
My caffeine priorities being what they are, knowing where excellent coffee shops are is critical, or so I think! They are de rigueur refuges for maintaining my sanity. I’m afraid I am a bit of a coffee snob and do avoid places I discover offer a facsimile that tastes like flat, warmed-over coffee-flavored water.
I did a dry run to ensure I would not get lost/be late. Around the corner from a car wash, in a row of unassuming shop fronts and unlandscaped scenery…is a coffee aficionado’s oasis.
A massive black Turkish-made roaster dominates the right corner as you enter. Jeff, also responsible for roasting, said a delivery stacks the ~120-lb burlap sacks almost to the ceiling. He offers a super variety of light to dark organic beans and roasts once per week, selling in-house as whole bean or ground. Along a back wall, water-filtration options complement coffee creation methods: French Press, pour-over, stove-top espresso makers, and electric kettles.
I’m always curious to check out food options in a bespoke location, as one sometimes finds the pastry and food selection fall far below an excellent coffee. But The Coffee Shack has not forgotten the importance of high-quality selections. Every option is prepared in-house. A wall-mounted breakfast and lunch menu is easily seen behind the front service counter. Except for frappe-topping sugars, every food item is non-GMO, organic, with ‘limited, if any’ chemicals or preservatives, and most items are locally sourced; the food offerings are exactly what you might create in your own kitchen– healthy, filling, and as natural as you could hope for!
Seating is available at well-spaced wood tables under ample, but not glaring, lighting or a couch-and-chairs group is available in the back corner. If you are looking for a place where coffee preparation is an art and where the food is wholesome, delish, and healthy, The Coffee Shack should be at the top of your list!
