Have you had affogato? Don’t skip out on ice cream at this new Columbus coffee shop
Columbus-based ministry organization Take the City will soon open the doors of a new coffee and ice cream shop in an effort to help the revitalization of Second Avenue and fund programs in the community.
Harvest Coffee Co. is located at 2910 Second Ave. and will officially open its doors Thursday.
Jonathan Cronin, development manager for Take the City, said the idea has been years in the making. Cronin said the shop has always been a dream of the founder of Take the City, Andrew Chalmers, and others affiliated with the organization.
“Whenever Andrew and the team chose this building, it was with the idea that this coffee shop would be on down the road,” Cronin said in an interview with the Ledger-Enquirer. “Finally, we felt like this was the right time and we began pulling the trigger.”
Harvest Coffee Co.’s menu consists of the usual coffee shop fare, including cappuccinos and iced lattes, but also has something special: an affogato.
It’s ice cream served in a dish, with two shots of espresso poured on top. Cronin said that mixing ice cream and coffee together isn’t something done too often, but he’s excited to bring the dish to Columbus.
“Affogato is taking the two together and it’s wonderful. It’s something that you see a lot in Atlanta or different places, but it’s not yet in Columbus and we’re excited about that,” Cronin said.
The shop will also serve eight flavors of ice cream, including vanilla, chocolate and cinnamon roll in a small, medium or large container, or by the pint.
Money made by the business will go toward helping fund and continue Take the City’s community programs, Redeem and Project: Lifehouse, Cronin said. Redeem focuses on helping sex-trafficking victims in the community while Project: Lifehouse assists with fixing up homes in impoverished areas of town.
The coffee-ice cream shop will also have a focus on helping addicts in the community, which Cronin said he suffered from in the early 2010s.
What makes this coffee shop unique from others in the Chattahoochee Valley, according to Cronin, is that the shop is faith and mission based. This is evidenced by Bible verses on the walls, a prayer room in the back half of the shop and more.
“Our purpose is to create a place for people to encounter the presence of God and experience community,” Cronin said.
He hopes the addition of the store on Second Avenue helps with future revitalization efforts in the area.
“We believe in the next few years, we’re going to see (change) and be a part of that revitalization effort through this coffee shop,” Cronin said.
Harvest Coffee Co. opens 7 a.m. Feb. 6 with an official ribbon cutting at 9 a.m. The shop’s regular hours will be 7 a.m. - 8:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday.