Boosalis named best coffee shop

Boosalis Baking & Cafe in Centerville has been named the “Best Coffee Shop in Ohio” by USA Today.

Matt Boosalis, founder of the bakery-cafe in the Cross Pointe Shopping Center, called the recognition “a nice surprise.” The story on “The best coffee shops in every state” was published the Friday after Thanksgiving, and Boosalis said he wasn’t aware of his bakery’s inclusion on the list until no fewer than three customers mentioned it to him. One customer had made a detour on her way back to Columbus to visit Boosalis bakery because of the USA Today mention.

Boosalis acknowledged he was a bit surprised by the recognition.

“We don’t really consider ourselves a coffee shop,” the bakery owner said. “We do have good coffee, though, and we give free refills.”

The entry in the USA Today story notes that Boosalis bakery “is mostly known for its freshly homemade baked goods and food that pair well with its coffee.”

The methodology behind the list was described this way in the USA Today story: “The list was compiled by looking at all of the ‘Coffee & Tea’ spots on Yelp and evaluating the number of reviews and star ratings for each.”

Boosalis said his business has enjoyed strong online reviews across several websites. “It’s an important driver for us,” he said.

The bakery opened in 2008 on Ohio 741 in Miami Twp. and operated there until 2014. It moved that year to its current location at 175 E. Alex Bell Road, across from Doubleday’s Grill and Tavern.