COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A local brand specializing in East African coffee is opening its first brick-and-mortar location Downtown, with help from a Columbus program supporting minority-owned businesses.
Black Kahawa Coffee is opening a shop at the corner of Broad and High streets in the building Tim Horton’s previously occupied for 11 years. Owner Douglas Buckley — an Ohio native who previously ran a coffee shop for six years while in Tanzania for faith-based humanitarian work — opened the business upon his return to America. Buckley said he opened Black Kahawa because he saw an opportunity to shine a light on coffee from East Africa.
“Being African American and also being biracial, and wanting to celebrate the coffee’s East African origin story, I felt like it was something that was timely,” Buckley said. “This was like in 2018, this period of time where I was watching from Tanzania what I call kind of this racial awakening that was going on in our culture. I saw there was a need to, a great opportunity to focus on coffee’s East African origin.”
Buckley had already developed a love for coffee as a home roaster before going to Tanzania, but he said it blossomed during his time in the African country. He explained the key differences between East African coffee and the coffee many American consumers may be familiar with.
“Some of the unique characteristics of East African coffee are very bold forward flavors,” Buckley said. “And some of that can be in the register of chocolate, or like a very creamy nuttiness. Other, especially like in Ethiopia, can be very floral or fruit based.”
The processing method is another key difference, according to Buckley. He said coffee is processed through the natural method in places like Africa, which leads to fruity notes because of fruit around the coffee bean.
Now, Buckley is expanding Black Kahawa’s operations by moving into its first brick-and-mortar location. He said the move was made possible through the city’s Downtown Ground Floor Growth Initiative, a program passed by Columbus City Council in October to help small minority- and women-owned businesses move Downtown.
“I feel like at the heart of it is helping entrepreneurs take a risk that they otherwise might not have,” Buckley said. “Kind of giving them a little bit of freedom and room to be unique, which I think is very valuable.”
The Downtown Ground Floor Growth Initiative is providing Buckley with rent assistance over three years, which he said gives him a runway to develop and make adjustments to his business. He also said the initiative provides money for the build out and offers business coaches who he meets with on a biweekly or monthly basis.
“If you’re running a business, you can end up talking to your significant other more than what they want to listen, so it’s good to have a sounding board of people who have some experience,” Buckley said.
One aspect of the new shop will be public coffee roasting for passersby to observe through Black Kahawa’s window.
“We’re going to be roasting publicly so people can see it,” Buckley said. “The roaster’s literally going to be out on the Broad Street window. So, people can walk by and experience the roasting process.”
The new coffee shop is moving into Broad & High, a new development from The Tomko Company. The 15-story mixed-use development at the corner of its namesake streets features 20,000 square feet of street-level retail, including Three Bites and Little Cat’s new partnership, which is also supported by the Downtown Ground Floor Growth Initiative.
Black Kahawa will open patio service May 28 or June 4, according to Buckley. He said the inside’s official opening hasn’t been determined, but that he expects it to open in late summer.
