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A second coffee shop called Zanzibar Brews just opened on Long Street in the King Lincoln District, a mere five months after the first coffee shop (Urban Spirit) opened just a few blocks away. Is this up-and-coming neighborhood ready to support two independent coffee shops?
According to their website, Zanzibar will serve a variety of breakfast items, sandwiches, soups, salads, wraps, and desserts in addition to coffee. Their hours are from 7am to 9pm, with extended hours on Fri & Sat (11pm) and shortened hours on Sunday (8am to 7pm).
my money is on those hours getting a lot shorter, real quick.
hmm…I may just have to go on a one man Sunday breakfast campaign to keep them open.
I agree with Daniel that it does seem a bit long to start out with for a coffee shop.
Anne & I just went over there to grab some dinner to bring home, and scope the place out a bit. I think Urban Spirit feels much more like an independent coffee shop, and this place had a much more corporate feel. Looks like they had some money to spend on the decor. Felt a bit like a Panera, for better or for worse. I thought it was nice. Looks like it seats about 30 people, and they have some room for a patio outside. They have a main entrance on Long St, and a back entrance that connects to the lobby of the offices in the bulding. I imagine they’re going to do well with the office workers in the building, and probably even better when the Lincoln opens up next Spring, which is nearly directly across the street.
I noticed the coffee they served is Stauf’s, for those who drink coffee.
They also had milkshakes and smoothies, Graeter’s Ice Cream, and a few other items that aren’t on the online menu. Anne got a veggie wrap ($4), and I got a ham & cheese sandwich ($4.50). We each got a cinnamon roll for dessert ($2.25 each). Total was $13. Employees were very friendly and chatted us up a bit. The food wasn’t bad. The sandwiches and wraps are pre-made in to-go containers, so I’m interested to try out a panini, which I assume is made in the kitchen to order.
And the most interesting part… they have an area towards the back that looks to be set up for a bar. There’s some lower lounge seating next to it too. The only thing missing was booze and a bartender. It didn’t really hit me until we got home, but the menu I grabbed does say “Coffee Shop and LOUNGE”, and their logo has a cocktail on it.
I’ll have to ask about it next time I stop by, because if they are going to serve alcohol, I can see the place feeling very much like a MoJoe Lounge.
Oh, and lastly, there’s now a dry cleaners next door to them as well. “Elite Dry Cleaners” according to the flyer/price guide I picked up in the coffee shop. Their prices look reasonable, so I’ll have to give them a shot sometime. I intentionally try not to buy any clothes that need dry cleaning, but I wouldn’t mind taking a few shirts and slacks and sweaters there if they do a good job with them.
You should do it!! It’s nice to wake up on Saturdays and know there’s people down at Warehouse if I want to get out for breakfast. Wouldn’t mind a Sunday option as well!!
Which one? Urban Spirit or Zanzibar?
I’d like both of them to stay open. :D
I love Urban Spirit (making a trip tomorrow), but the city is certainly making it harder for them by keeping so much of Long unfriendly for pedestrians. Having a Mojoe alternative just a couple blocks away does sound really good, though. My coffee options are pretty much met. Now if only someone would open a late-night coffeeshop.
It’s great for donuts, has unforgiving fluorescent lights and no sofas: that ain’t no damn coffeeshop. It has its charms though. Now this is a coffeeshop.
+1 I miss going to Insomia to hang out or play chess, at 3 in the morning!
Agrees not a coffeeshop maybe a coffeestop but not shop, UDF has coffee and chairs does’t make it a coffee shop. :wink:
I’ve intended to check this place out. I’ll have to stop in this weekend or early next week.
I’ll have to check this out this weekend, I had no idea this was coming.
Does anyone know if anyone actually works in that office building? I know it was originally built for the Police Internal Affairs Department but heard a while ago that they decided against moving them in there
I will alwys patron Urban Spirit. I think the neighborhood will too. I think this new place should just open as a bar and quit with the coffee.
Urban Spirit will live forever!
I’ve always heard that the building has 100% office capacity, but I’m not sure who is there. There is some sort of police office on the ground floor with an entrance on the Hamilton side.
Walker…..did it look like the kind of place where someone could comfortably take their laptop and work for a couple of hours?
Definitely. I didn’t see anything about WiFi, but I assume they have it? Might want to call them about that though.
Otherwise, you might be able to pick up my WiFi signal from my house from there. If so, I’ll give you my password. ;)
Otherwise, you might be able to pick up my WiFi signal from my house from there. If so, I’ll give you my password. ;)
What a guy! :D
A first class act as usual. :D
I didn’t see anything about alcohol on the website, so I wonder how long until they start serving. Looks like it’d be more geared towards maritinis and if they’re less expensive than other places, well then.
I stopped by for breakfast this morning. Very friendly staff. I had a mocha and took quiche to go; both were good. Maybe not Andrew-Hall-good, but good enough. I asked about the breakfast burritos on the menu posted online and the guys said that they are really bad and they won’t serve them. He said that they had them in the back if I was really hell-bent on a breakfast burrito but I passed.
The decor was Bad Corporate Starbucks, I think I prefer to atmosphere in Urban Spirit to this place.
He said that they expect to be serving liquor in about a year and they plan to have live music. Not sure why the long delay, maybe it takes a while to get a liquor permit?
He also said that the business is owned by the building owners. King Lincoln Gateway LLC according to the auditor’s website. Someone at King Lincoln Gateway LLC should look into getting new awnings or a sign on the building that lets someone know that this place is there. If I wasn’t going to find it, I would have driven right by and assumed the building was still empty.
We stopped by tonight with Mr. & Mrs. Skreened to see if the place would be open late as their hours indicate. We went over around 9:30ish (I think?) and were sort of surprised to see maybe 6-8 other people in the place so late at night.
I’ve always heard that the building has 100% office capacity, but I’m not sure who is there. There is some sort of police office on the ground floor with an entrance on the Hamilton side.
Homeport has been in the building since early October, although our store front was not completed until last month. We are a non-profit developer of affordable housing and we work primarily in the central city. Check out our websites: http://www.homeportcolumbus.com or http://www.northofbroad.com
Nice.
I look forward to going over there some time. Sound like good people which counts more.
A.