Downtown Cleveland Café now open to the public as of Wednesday at 7 a.m.

In addition to offering the finest coffees from around the world, fresh roasted to order on site; it will also be offering specialty teas, smoothies, sodas, an assortment of fresh baked goods and a selection of fair-trade products supporting artisans both locally and across the globe.

The new Retail Roastery is located on First Street Square in downtown Cleveland at 241 Inman St East, within walking distance of downtown businesses and Lee University. The facility includes indoor and outdoor seating, free wifi, and will also have regular musical guests. 

The Friday night live music series will start this Friday, with a concert by Garrett Tucker. Mr. Tucker’s music can best be described as a 3-D kaleidoscope which contains a broad spectrum of musical styles, creating a soundscape that is bright and colorful.

Mr. Tucker trained under the renowned classical guitarist, Maestro Giovanni Dechairo and has opened for acts like Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Barenaked Ladies, Neville Brothers, Commodores, Phil Keagy, and many more. He has also toured with the Grammy nominated Ray Stephenson who wrote the Kenny Chesney hit solo Hemingway’s Whisky. Most recently he’s fresh off the Monsters of Rock Cruise  where he opened for Night Ranger.

The staff is currently in training, learning about the various coffee regions and roasting profiles Bonlife offers, and practicing their many brewing methods, many of which are not currently available in the area. In addition to selling much of the brewing equipment they use on site, they will also be featuring local artists’ paintings on the walls which are available for purchase.

“We’re excited to join the growing community of downtown Cleveland, and offer a locally owned, quality alternative to the drive thru coffee chains; where people can gather and enjoy a unique coffee with friends.” said Erika Moore, Café manager. 

They willl have weekly brewing method demonstrations as well as cupping groups of the newest blends and roasts. Some of their fair-trade merchandise includes Divine Chocolates, a farmer owned cocoa manufacturer, People for Care and Learning’s Jewelry initiative which is providing income and hope for girls in Cambodia, and Know Hope, which takes used coffee burlap bags and up cycles them into various purses and messenger bags and uses the profits to provide orphan support in several countries. 

“We want to find people and organizations that are making a difference and partner with them to increase impact” said Ms. Moore.

The grand opening festivities will continue for the next few weeks, culminating in a visit from Thrive Coffee Farmer Alejandro Garcia, from Costa Rica, on Friday morning, Aug. 17. “Our direct trade model ensures that Farmers get a better than fair price for their high quality coffees, and we’re excited to tell this story in Cleveland and introduce one of our great farmers in Person!” said Ms. Moore. 

Bonlife Coffee, a member of the Specialty Coffee Association of America and 1% for the Planet, was founded to help you “Drink a Better Story” by shortening the distance from farmer to consumer and has done so by establishing direct relationships with coffee farmers in countries around the world, from Thailand to Guatemala to Uganda. 

For more information you can visit their website www.bonlifecoffee.com as well as their Facebook page www.facebook.com/bonlifecoffee and Twitter @bonlifecoffee, or call 423 464-6160.