Coming to Columbus: Mission Coffee Co.’s Roastery and Education Lab

Photos by Mission Coffee Co.

Mission Coffee Co., which has helped drive Columbus, Ohio, coffee culture since opening a Short North shop in 2012, plans to open a coffee education and roasting production facility on 4th Street in the Italian Village.

Mission’s Nathan Okuley hinted at the new facility when we caught up with him about the company’s amazing cold brew bike last year. Although the new roasting, education and retail space is not yet open to the public, the US Roaster Corp roaster is installed and will be supplying the Short North shop within weeks under the supervision of new roastmaster Hans Hochstedler, formerly of Mechanicsburg’s Hemisphere Coffee Roasters.

Mission says the invited roastery space will be used to help give customers a glimpse into the seed-to-cup story based on the company’s green buying relationships.

“We love hanging out with the creatives, the entrepreneurs, and the dreamers,” says Mission Co-Owner Jared Williamson. “We’re transforming the second space into a clean, warm, and approachable environment to come and learn more about coffee.”

Mission has been one of the 12 shops participating in the Columbus Coffee Experience, a network of roasters and retailers sharing in a loyalty program with a focus on locality. Mission’s customer experience director Joe Capatosto describes the company’s venture into roasting as “humbling,” and the company plans to continue carrying some coffees from other roasters from throughout the nation at the Short North shop.