by Tristan Stonerock
Staff Writer
While searching for some fall activities, I came across an entire website full of things to do in Columbus. There were so many events to go to that seemed enjoyable, but one thing in particular caught my eye. The Columbus Coffee Trail is an event in which one travels to multiple coffee shops around Columbus.
There are in total 26 coffee shops, with some of them being the same shops in different locations. After visiting four stops, the adventurer wins a free T-shirt, and after going to all the shops, they win a Columbus Coffee Trail insulated tumbler.
It is free to sign up, and so easy to use. Once the order is placed, (and yes, you can order anything, not just coffee) just ask a worker for the code for their shop and type it in at the check-in spot.
Now I am no coffee connoisseur by any means, but my mom loves coffee. She was excited after learning about this trail, so we went on the weekend we had found out about it.
First, we went to Crimson Cup Coffee Shop in Upper Arlington. Since it was the first shop and I basically knew nothing about the trail, I knew I had to ask some questions.
The manager, Katie, offered some useful insight about it. She stated that, “a lot more [people come] in the summer, and on the weekends than normal.” She even estimated around a “10 to 20 percent” increase in customers just from the trail alone.
Personally, I prefer tea over coffee, so I had to try at least one loose leaf tea at all of the coffee shops. I got an iced white tea and pomegranate loose leaf tea, and my mom ordered the Crimson Cup mocha. The tea was not my favorite, but it did have a very good taste to it. The mocha definitely takes the cake on this one. I don’t usually like coffee, but my mom and I would both get this again.
The second coffee shop we went to is the Chocolate Cafe on Northwest Blvd. This shop was very cute, and the baristas were so kind when we were ogling at all of the food choices. This shop had everything from omelets to sandwiches, in just their food selections. They had a wide variety of baked goods and tons of drink options.
My mom knew she did not want to fill up on coffee, so she went with her other obsession- chocolate and peanut butter- otherwise known as buckeyes. I also went for my obsession, chocolate covered strawberries, and hot chocolate. While I did get the regular milk chocolate hot chocolate, I was surprised to see that they also had dark and white hot chocolate. As a dark chocolate lover I was tempted, but eventually decided against it, for now. The hot chocolate was so rich and dreamy, and the strawberries were so delicious. I definitely need to go back and get the dark chocolate variation.
The largest coffee shop we went to was Stauf’s Coffee Roasters at the Grandview location, where you can actually scoop up your own coffee beans into a bag and buy it by the pound.
One other thing I didn’t expect was all of their fall flavors. Of course, there was pumpkin spice, but there was also brown sugar, bonfire chai, and s’mores.
Considering it is fall, I had to get a pumpkin spice latte, and my mom got a buckeye latte. As much as I would’ve liked to say the pumpkin spice latte was incredible, I can’t. It was good, but I have had better. The buckeye, on the other hand, was very good.
Last and most certainly not least, my favorite of the coffee shops we went to, Boston Stoker Coffee Co. This place was absolutely gorgeous. They had the prettiest looking blue velvet chairs and so many pictures. The coffee shop is one of five family owned stores in Ohio.
I absolutely adored the iced apple crisp latte I got, but it wasn’t my favorite part about the entire place. The baristas were so incredible and cared so much about the company and their customers.
The manager Glenda said that “the [owners] care,” and that when she went into her interview she was surprised that one of their questions was “what’s really important to you in a job.” She even stated that “whatever proceeds [they] make [gets] sen[t] for the kids in orphanages.” Glenda even told me that her boss goes to the orphanages herself, and that “she’s been there eight times.”
The company was once a cigar shop, and as a free extra they would give out coffee after purchasing cigars. The coffee was such a hit that they eventually started selling it. To this day people can still buy cigars at the shop. As of 2023 they have been open for fifty years. I will most ardently be going back.
Though I have only been to four of the shops, I do plan to continue on. I highly suggest going on the coffee trail, even if it’s only for a few stops. It is such an exciting way to meet new people all around Columbus, and it's a great thing to do with friends and family.
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