Wayne Avenue draws another coffee shop
Reza’s Roast fourth in ‘heart of Dayton’s growing food scene.’
After searching for a location for more than two years, Reza’s Roast, a Fairborn coffee roastery which specializes in wholesale sales of coffees and beans, is gearing up to open its first retail coffee shop, “Reza’s Downtown,” in Dayton.
The new shop is coming to 438 Wayne Ave., according to Audria Maki, founder of Reza’s Roast coffee roastery in Fairborn. The location is four blocks from Wholly Grounds, another coffee shop in the works on Wayne Avenue, and in between two existing Wayne Avenue coffee shops: Ghostlight Coffee and Press Coffee Bar.
A coffee-shop district certainly appears to be brewing along Wayne Avenue, but Maki is confident each can find its niche, including hers.
“Wayne Avenue is right in the heart of Dayton’s growing food scene and centrally located geographically, so this is perfect for what we were looking for,” Maki said of the site. “We are the fourth coffee shop opening (on Wayne Avenue) ... but each is so different in terms of vibe, menu and customer base that it is not really a concern.”
Roasting coffee for wholesale sales will continue to be the primary focus of Reza’s, Maki said. But she added, “We are constantly helping new coffee shop owners and managers get up and running, and they have a lot of questions about how everything works.” She envisions her Reza’s Downtown will serve as a model for her wholesale customers who are just starting out.
Maki said she has been looking for a space for a coffee cafe for more than two years, but “didn’t want to put a lot of money into fixing up something we didn’t own. When a relative bought the building (at 438 Wayne Ave.), it was the perfect solution.”
If all goes well, Reza’s Downtown could open as early as this fall. Maki said the new shop will not be open during the evenings, and will also be closed on Sundays. “The focus will be on the quality of our drinks to highlight our Reza’s Roast coffee,” Maki said.
The food menu is still in its early stages, but will likely include pastries and perhaps toasts. “We will also carry tea, hot chocolate, matcha and coffee-infused slushies,” Maki said.
A manager for the new cafe has already been hired, “and we will be looking for three or four baristas closer to the open date. We are taking resumes now to keep on file,” Maki said.
Layout and seating are also still up in the air.
“The space is large, and we are considering leasing out part of the building to a complementary business,” she said.