Coffee festival returns with passion for java
The aroma and flavor back after a 1-year pandemic hiatus
The Columbus Coffee Festival returned this weekend after a one-year hiatus, giving Greater Columbus coffee drinkers the chance to sample some of the region’s most well-known java, plus maybe some they’ve never heard of.
The festival at Ohio Village, across from the Ohio State Fairgrounds on the North Side, also gave dozens of vendors the chance to reach new customers.
Organizers put the festival on hold in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This year’s festival has 27 vendors spread throughout grounds of Ohio Village, along with a handful of food trucks, and a few creamer stations.
Jennings Java got its start at the annual gathering before opening a brick and mortar shop in Merion Village.
Owner Daniel Jennings roasted and brewed coffee for friends and family before he met business partner A.J. Kazmierczak in 2016. Kazmierczak persuaded him to turn his hobby into a business.
“We met and literally two weeks later we were setting up at the Columbus Coffee Festival, in way over our heads,” Jennings said of the event’s first year.
From there they attended other events, such as farmers markets, and built a strong following. The duo opened their Merion Village shop last year.
Gatherings like the coffee festival gives them a chance to chat with regulars, introduce their products to potential customers, and interact with other coffee roasters.
“We love the Columbus coffee culture,” Jennings said. “I was a big fan of (some of the other festival vendors) before I was even running this business. It’s fun to meet all of those guys.
Community is very important in coffee.”
And the annual event lets roasters know what brews are popular.
Silverbridge Coffee, which is based in Gallipolis along the Ohio River, sells its product in Greater Columbus coffee shops and in grocery stores throughout Ohio, but doesn’t have a brick and mortar location. The festival gives the owners a chance to ask customers what they like and don’t like.
“It’s a great opportunity to meet people in the Columbus area who are passionate about local coffee,” said Lorraine Walker, Silverbridge owner. “It’s like a huge focus group. We get a lot of one-on-one feedback.”
“I get a chance to try flavors that I wouldn’t get a chance to try anywhere else,” said visitor Kim Coolidge, 54, of Grove City.
Others were grateful for the chance to taste coffee from their favorite shops all in one convenient location.
Stephanie Castine, who in Vassar Village on the South Side, came with her mother, Carol Mielke, who lives in Powell.
The Columbus woman said she was happy to see her favorite roasters setting up shop right next to one another.
“I’m excited to try some of my regulars, like Roosevelt and Stauf ’s” said Castine, referring to two popular Columbus brands. “I’m a big Stauf ’s fan.”
The festival also gave both coffee sellers and coffee drinkers the chance to bond over their shared love of the caffeinated beverage.
“It’s good to get out and meet people in the community,” said Jason Thomas, co-owner of Roaming Goat Coffee in the Short North. “It’s a very social thing.”
The Columbus area has more coffee shops than ever, and festivals give roasters the chance to see longtime customers who don’t come by as often because they’re trying other shops, he said.
“The coffee community is getting bigger now,” Thomas said. “It’s nice to catch up with the people that you might only see once a year or just in passing.”
The festival continues Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Single-day tickets start at $20. pcooley@dispatch.com @Patrickacooley