Java Central will go from having its coffee infused in Zaftig’s beers to having a coffee shop inside Zaftig’s Italian Village brewpub.
The new partnership will activate Zaftig’s space by day, offering coffee and a place to work, while the brewery continues its normal operations by night.
Zaftig made its debut at 119 E. Fifth Ave. in December 2019, four months before the coronavirus pandemic would upend the bar and restaurant industry.
“Like all restaurants and bars, everybody is just struggling,” says Zaftig Co-Owner Jason Blevins.
This past fall, Zaftig took a look at where the business was at after two years of operating mostly during a pandemic, and Blevins started looking for ways to increase revenue.
“I started thinking about the time that we’re closed,” Blevins says.
With primarily afternoon and evening hours for Zaftig, Blevins thought, “I wonder if we could do a coffee shop kind of concept in here, and I thought well, I know somebody I can talk to.”
That somebody was Java Central Co-Owner and Head Roaster Andy Piper.
The two businesses have been in each others’ orbit for a few years. As coffee-infused beers grew in popularity, Zaftig had been working with local roaster Crimson Cup on its brews. However, Blevins says after some time they wanted to move in a new direction and work with a smaller, local craft roaster. Zaftig’s sales manager introduced Blevins and his business partner Jim Gokenbach to Westerville-based Java Central. Zaftig found the right roast for its beer and the two have been infusing ever since. (And when Java Central opened its dedicated roasting facility last year, they discovered that their neighbors were none other than Zaftig and their production facility.)
Blevins initially told Piper he wanted to run an idea past him. After pitching his idea for a coffee shop, Piper offered to help Zaftig with some consulting and getting things off the ground. But after the conversation, Blevins had another idea.
He asked Piper, “What if you do it?”
Blevins realized he didn’t have time to learn how to run a coffee shop in addition to a brewery.
“I need this to have the best possible success from day one,” he says.
Both feel like it’s a natural collaboration.
“We’ve had such a great relationship with Zaftig and it felt like we were partnering with friends,” Piper says.
He’s also excited to expand Java Central and share the service style they’ve developed at their Westerville shop, 20 S. State St., of “serving people first, coffee second” with Italian Village.
“We have grown so much in Westerville and we’re doing so much there and people have been so supportive that we want to share that,” Piper says.
Exact details of the partnership are still coming together, but the current plan is for Zaftig employees to receive management, direction and training from Java Central on coffee shop operations. Blevins says since they pitched the idea, the goal is to keep the financial burden low for Java Central. To ensure a mutually beneficial relationship though, the partners will likely operate under a profit sharing model.
There will be coffee, yes, but the new setup will also see Java Central play with what Piper describes as some very specific ingredient-focused drinks – think alternative milks and more floral pairings like lavender.
The menu will be more pared down at first, but work its way up to be similar to Java Central’s current offerings, plus a few specialities. Being in a spot with a liquor license, coffee cocktails are also on the agenda.
Sourcing locally and sourcing sustainably will be key components to Java Central’s offerings. The roaster is working with Urbana-based Woodruff Farms to source milk and have a carbon-neutral alternative milk up their sleeve to debut. The Blonde Bomb Bakery will supply the shop’s mocha sauces, as well as some sweet treats for the limited food menu.
Java Central will work with other local businesses to supply confections like pastries and donuts, and offer a few house-made items like breakfast sandwiches. On the weekends, coffee shop hours will bleed into Zaftig’s regular brunch service for a full-menu affair.
Blevins hopes that guests don’t just come for the coffee, but sit and stay awhile. Zaftig will make some changes to their space, like adding more soft seating and splitting up larger tables into smaller meeting and work areas, hoping to turn it into a location where folks can get out of the house and work.
And, over time, if crowds support it, Blevins says week-day lunch service could be on Zaftig’s radar.
Details are coming together for a soft opening in early February with an exact date to be announced.
Java Central will be open daily at 7 a.m. and serve until 2 p.m. Zaftig’s hours are 4 -10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 4 – 11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sunday (closed Mondays).
For more information, visit drinkzaftigitalianvillage.com and javacentral.coffee.