“Our whole goal was to create something that feels like a friendly neighborhood hospitality spot where people can get, really high-end coffee experience, but in a really chill, friendly environment,” Elliott Coffee co-owner Elijah Knapp told LINK nky during the shop’s soft opening on July 12.
Officially opening on July 20, this neighborhood coffee shop was packed during its five hours of operation on Friday. The shop will also be open tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Located at 825 6th Avenue in an old gas station, Elliott Coffee’s menu ranges from espresso to matcha to tea which can all be flavored with housemade syrups and locally-sourced honey. Small breakfast bites are also on offer, the rotating menu features pastries, loaded toasts and more.
Originally from central Ohio, Elijah Knapp moved to Cincinnati from Georgia in 2020.
“When I moved to Cincinnati from Atlanta, I fell in love with Northern Kentucky and all the buildings around here,” said Elijah Knapp, who now lives nearby his shop in Dayton with his wife and co-owner Isabelle Knapp.
Having worked in the coffee industry for five years, Elijah said that he and his wife were interested in opening a coffee shop in the area and were searching for the perfect location.
“I literally just drove around, looking at stuff, and drove all the way down from 471 to where these buildings are, and the first time I ever saw it, I FaceTimed my wife, and I was like, ‘We have to open something here. This is the space.’”
In a serendipitous moment, Elijah said a little while later, he was chatting with a friend in the real estate industry who asked if they were considering Dayton. This friend happened to know the owner of the building, and they happened to be looking for a tenant for the space.
“He copied us in on an email, and we came and saw it that week, got the ball rolling and we have been working on it ever since,” said Elijah.
But before they could serve the community with coffee they asked them for help. In May, the co-owners launched a crowdfunding campaign and by mid-June, they were fully funded with 210 people raising $18,833.
“Thank you for believing in us. We aim to create a place where you can sense care in every detail and where you see your own dreams coming true even more than we see ours,” read an Instagram post from Elijah, Isabelle and the third co-owner, Elijah’s brother Asa Knapp.
In the newly renovated space, guests can order a drink at the old pump station and then enjoy it either outside on one of the picnic tables or in the second building on the lot, which offers indoor seating.
“We’ve been happy in our first couple days of soft open to see so many people that are genuinely like walking their dogs here,” while chatting outside the shop Friday morning, neighbors and other friendly faces stopped by to enjoy the coffee and warm weather. Knapp said, that was really what it’s all about “That’s it, it’s really just such a fun feel.”