By Tory McKinley
NKyTribune intern
At the start of COVID-19, panic ensued as uncertainties began to arise. How will this affect me and my loved ones? How will this affect our livelihood and our business? These are questions many people in our community are asking, in particular small businesses. Thanks to the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and its partners for the restaurant relief program and other help from government, many have been able to manage during this time of quarantine, local coffee shops among them.
Not only were coffee shops able to manage, but many have found unique ways to pour into local Northern Kentucky neighborhoods with their resources and time.
Coffee has long been a symbol of community and togetherness, and for these special local gathering places where friends traditionally meet and neighbors pass-through, local coffee shops matter.
Here are some examples of a few local shops that mattered for the community While You Were Quarantined*:
Villa Mocha
Opened in March of 2019, Villa Mocha is a fairly fresh face to the Villa Hills area. Owners Alison and Dan Spears started the business with community and belonging in mind.
Envisioned as a gathering place for all, its first year in business had been a successful one. Whether it’s a group of runners stopping in after their afternoon jog or a night of Bluegrass music, there were always people coming through the doors.
COVID proved to be a unique challenge for Villa Mocha as they had to cut back their 11-hour days to 5. However, the momentum hasn’t let up. They have seen a triple in normal business due to the outpouring of the Villa community.
“People are now buying gift cards because they know they’ll be back once all this is over,” stated Alison.
Not only are they doing great business, but they recently were selected by the Chamber of Commerce for a $1000 grant. With the money, they purchased free PPE, including face masks and hand sanitizer, for all customers who enter.
“We care deeply about community,” said Alison. “We want to make sure everyone is safe. Take as many as you need.”
Because of the generosity of the grant and their customers, for the month of June Villa Mocha partnered with Project of Hope LLC to do homeless outreach in Cincinnati.
“Villa Mocha is very pleased to announce that $1 from every sale of our weekly Specialty Drink in the month of June will be going to Project HOPE Cincinnati LLC,” Allison said.
Project Hope Cincinnati accepts donations and delivers personal hygiene products to the homeless population of Cincinnati.
“This vulnerable population has been greatly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and current racial protests. Project Hope Cincinnati brings care packages to homeless shelters and churches in the city every month. 100% of our donation will be used to purchase personal hygiene products for the vulnerable and underserved homeless men, women, and children in downtown Cincinnati.”
Velocity Bike and Bean
Started in August of 2011, Velocity Bike and Bean has become a popular Florence staple. Combining a love for bikes and brew, Mark Ball and his wife Lisa wanted their space to be a warm, unique spot to liven up the area.
“It’s a place of community to connect with old friends and make new ones along the way. It has created its own community within the community,” said Mark.
Velocity has been in a unique situation these past couple months.
During quarantine, they have taken time to step back and remodel, reenvision, and revamp some equipment in the shop. Through these changes, there will be more space to sit and chat with friends post-quarantine. Due to its temporary closing, they’ve had to think of other ways to stay involved in the community as they always have been.
In a recent partnership with Tinker Coffee in Indianapolis, the pair have found a way to deliver quality coffee supplied in tea-like bags perfect for people on the go. These coffee bags are placed in to-go cups along with a $5 gift card and are then delivered to front-line workers. Through this program, Velocity customers are able to sponsor a number of cups and then decide where they are going. Some recipients have included St. Elizabeth Healthcare workers, Boone County Schools cafeteria workers, and EMTs.
In addition, Velocity has also partnered with Yield Coffee in Cincinnati to donate bags of coffee beans to Firehouses in the area. Since March, they have distributed 500+ cups of coffee and 20+ pounds of coffee beans.
Ft. Thomas Coffee
Justin and Christine Smalley have been the owners of Ft. Thomas Coffee (FTC) since March 2019 and have been making waves in the area ever since. With a people-oriented focus, customers automatically feel invited in, right as they step in the door.
This bond has only been strengthened throughout the pandemic.
“I honestly feel our community has been more benevolent toward us than we to them! Truly, they have been such kind supporters of small business and an encouragement to us,” said Christine.
FTC friends and customers have provided acts of kindness for the shop including a donation of masks for workers and a bottle of hand sanitizer for the counter when the owners couldn’t find any on supermarket shelves.
With it being close to COVID-19 Intensive Care Units, the Veterans Affairs Hospital, and Northern Kentucky University, many of their guests are students, doctors, nurses, or spouses of medical teams.
“Friends of FTC purchased coffee to give to the ICU staff. Others asked us to send coffee to the International NKU students who remained stranded on campus. With the community’s generosity we have been blessed beyond measure,” said Christine.
Throwing out the menus and lessening food options was the least of their worries when the COVID hit. Community was what mattered most and how they could still keep it strong under distancing guidelines.
“Getting to remain open in a carry-out capacity allowed us to still offer a connection point and a sense of normalcy in the day.”
The owners of FTC have found this time of uncertainty to be an opportunity for growth and hope for the community.
“While holding grief and suffering with gratitude and hope, we loved our neighbors as best we knew how. It’s been our mission from the beginning to embrace community,” said Christine. “And in a time when needing to be socially distant, when every next plan for protection seemed a threat to our mission, we in turn learned a truer sense of embracing community.”
Carabello Coffee
Being one of the most popular spots in Newport, Carabello Coffee is a huge proponent of community outreach. Started by Justin and Emily Carabello in a garage around 2009, it took off transforming into the well-known business people have come to cherish today. Their mission statement says it all – they truly have a heart for people.
“We promise to ethically source exceptional coffees, roast them with care, put our heart and soul into every drink we prepare for you; that fund works of compassion globally and locally.”
Recently, the Carabellos have been able to give back to the local community. Whether it’s a fix to a local business’s broken door or helping fund struggling shops in the area during COVID, they have found ways to humbly serve the community.
Last week, they were able to raise $2000 to donate to the Justice Fund at People’s Church through hosting a “Tropical Day” where 100% of their profits went to this cause. The outpouring from the community was huge, as the fund fights racial injustice.
In addition to the Justice Fund, many of the shop’s supporters have sponsored hospitals to donate coffee too. Carabello was able to deliver over 400 bags of coffee to 9 hospitals in the area due to the generosity of their customers.
And through it all, they still were able to donate to their regular charities in Nicaragua and Rwanda as well.
It’s amazing how much outreach has been happening during this time of uncertainty as we head into our “new normal.” These coffee shops have not missed a beat in caring for the community and serving delicious drinks and pastries in the process.
FTC owner Christine Smalley said, “Although coffee has been considered essential by our state during the pandemic, we have found human connection to be more so.”
Things are looking bright in the Northern Kentucky area.
Tory McKinley is an intern with the NKyTribune this summer and will be a graduate of Asbury University when her internship is completed. She lives in Verona and is a graduate of Ryle High School. She is also responsible for the photographs for this story.