Mission Coffee Co. returns to its coffee shop roots with the opening of its new space at 2060 S. High St.
Part of the South Side’s The Fort, Mission officially opens at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 1.
“We wanted to get back to that cafe experience that people expect from Mission,” says Owner Matt Roberson.
The pandemic brought the end of Mission’s popular Short North shop at 11 Price Ave. The brand turned its focus to roasting and wholesale, making the move to The Fort in June 2021.
The community created through a retail shop is part of what Roberson loves most about coffee culture, and to not have that as part of the business, he says he felt like something was missing.
Mission’s comeback will be in a unique format. Drinks will be made in a mobile truck that formerly housed Blank Slate Coffee.
Roberson launched Blank Slate in Gahanna seven years ago and was Mission’s first wholesale client when they started roasting their own beans. The two brands had a long-standing, collaborative relationship. Then last fall, Roberson stepped in to purchase Mission. Now as Blank Slate’s journey comes to a close, Mission lives on.
Roberson says using the already existing mobile set-up was the quickest way to get things up and running.
Customers will order from the truck outside, but be able to enjoy their drinks indoors in a seating area adjacent to Mission’s roasting facility. There’s even a garage door that opens to the elements, reminiscent of the Short North shop.
Mission will offer drip coffee and a traditional espresso menu – lattes, cappuccinos, cortados, etc. along with the seasonal specials the brand was known for. That includes bringing back one of Mission’s most beloved drinks, the salted maple cortado, for opening day.
Head Roaster Elena Mahmood has been working on a special blend in coordination with the shop’s launch, the 2060. It’s Mission’s first triple blend, and the main component, an Ethiopian coffee, is female-sourced, all the way from production to roasting.
Mission is adding to the growing redevelopment of the area, which could see some even larger-scale changes over the next several years as plans come together for a mixed-use district with as many as 1,000 new residential units.
“It’s really great to be around that energy and a part of something that has so much potential,” Roberson says of The Fort and its surrounding entities.
Being on the early side of an ambitious redevelopment, there’s a certain amount of being along for the ride that Roberson expects. But Mission’s ready for it – and looking forward to growing and evolving with the neighborhood as it takes shape.
Opening day hours are 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. For regular hours, Mission will open at 7 a.m. daily, with closing time to be determined.
For more information, visit missioncoffeeco.com.
All photos by Susan Post