Well, you cannot join along on the first-ever Covington Coffee Crawl on Sept. 6, but you can join the self-guided tour.
That’s because all the guided tour spots filled up within an hour of opening the sign-ups.
“I honestly was talking with my coworkers, and I was like, ‘Maybe 15 or 20 people agreed to come and, I’ll be happy with that,’” said Diamond Garrett, large events programmer at the Kenton County Library and the progenitor of the Covington Coffee Crawl. “That’d make me happy. I can help 15 people. Even if five people came, I’d be happy just to help show them the area.”
Garrett was proven wrong, and after hitting 30 sign-ups, she asked her supervisor if she could add another tour. She got approval, and they opened up 10 more spots, which filled up within 30 minutes.
After that, they created a self-guided version of the crawl that has unlimited spots. At the time that LINK nky talked to Garret, there were 42 people signed up for the self-guided tour.
So, what is this Covington Coffee Crawl that everyone is clamoring to get a spot in?
It’s a guided walking tour of the city’s local coffee shops, bakeries and historic sites along a 2.1-mile route. The crawl will begin at the Covington Branch Library and stops by Left Bank Coffeehouse, The Bodega at Roebling, Point Perk, F & Goode Desserts and Kung Brew. There will be tasty samples at each stop of the tour.
Garrett told LINK that the idea for the crawl came to her because she’s an extrovert who loves meeting new people and having new experiences and she noticed her husband and her introverted friends have trouble with those things.
“I’m kind of like a little extrovert that collects introvert friends,” said Garrett. “I noticed that a lot of my friends would be like, ‘Oh, I don’t want to try a new place because I’ve never been inside,’ or it makes them really anxious.”
Garrett lives in Covington and loves supporting small businesses around the city. She felt that the first introduction to a business was a barrier for many people to try it.
“I’m trying to merge my love of small businesses and my love of helping my friends, and my husband experienced new things,” said Garrett. “Having a walking tour allows you to be able to go on something with your friends, so it’s a little bit less scary.”
Another barrier, Garrett said, is cost. The free samples provided at each of the locations will allow participants to try these local businesses, “ and it’s not a risk to your own bank account.”
While the spots for the guided tour are full for this event, anyone can participate in the self-guided tour. To participate, simply stop by the Covington Branch of the Kenton County Library on the day of the event, pick up a goodie bag and passport, and explore at your own pace.
While the one in September is the only Covington Coffee Crawl on the books for now, Garrett said she hopes to eventually host more.
One of the stops on the crawl is The Bodega at Roebling, and general manager Kaylah Bozman told LINK nky that she’s excited to show off their version of a vanilla matcha latte.
Bozman said that when Garrett told her about the crawl, “I thought it was a really great idea, just because, from being at the bodega, I know the coffee demand is really high, and there’s a lot of avid coffee drinkers in the area.”
The city, in Bozman’s opinion, is finally recovering from COVID and growing, so she’s happy to see people walking and supporting local businesses.
Another stop on the tour, Point Perk Coffee, is offering a sample of their Mexican vanilla, which general manager Rachelle Ungerman told LINK they make in-house, and it’s “not your typical vanilla.”
The shop is part of The Point Ark, an organization that “helps individuals with intellectual and developmental differences reach their highest potential educationally, residentially, socially and vocationally,” per their website. Point Perk is one of four job training business ventures for them.
“The more that people can come in, the more goes to our individuals, it’s a full cycle,” said Ungerman. All of the tips, she said, go to their employees.
“With the coffee crawl, I’m hoping it’s gonna give us some good exposure,” said Ungerman. She said that people often don’t know their mission, and she’s always looking for opportunities to spread the word about the work they do.
Ungerman is also hoping to get returning customers. “Familiar faces are important to them,” said Ungerman. She even gave a shout-out to the LINK team, because even if it’s just for a Diet Coke, someone from the team is there pretty much every day.
The Covington Coffee Crawl is set for Sept. 6. Passports for the self-guided tour will be available at the Covington branch of the Kenton County Library at 502 Scott St. Find more information at kentonlibrary.bibliocommons.com.