From hymns to cold brew, a popular coffee shop is now doing business in an unexpected place.
Stauf’s Coffee Roasters expanded in September to what used to be the Neil Avenue Presbyterian Church, which was built in 1905 in Victorian Village, according to the Columbus Metropolitan Library website.
Though the building is not a church anymore, the interior still features stained glass, high ceilings and individual church pews for seating.
Olivia Hunt, a team manager and third-year in biology, said the interior was designed to feel spacious and comfortable in hopes of attracting more students.
“I feel like this location — I’ve worked the other ones — and I really like this one because you feel more at peace, and that was the intention, was to create more of a study center,” Hunt said.
Hunt said the location still offers pastries but has a more limited menu compared with others, so there can be a stronger focus on the items they do offer, such as espresso drinks.
“We wanted to make this one more of a sit down, feel comfortable and stay awhile type of environment, rather than more of a hustle, bustle type of environment,” Hunt said.
The shop’s renovated-church locale is not the only thing that sets this Stauf’s apart from other locations, however.
Devon Olding, general manager and an Ohio State alumnus, said this is the only Stauf’s to use nitro cold brew — a cold-brewed coffee infused with nitrogen to add foam on top of the drink, served without ice.
Though the location does not have a parking lot, Olding said the side of the building is equipped with bike stations.
In the future, Olding said the business plans to implement dog-leash stations as a place for customers to safely leave their pets.
The newest addition of Stauf’s Coffee Roasters is located at 1334 Neil Ave. Stauf’s is open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.