A Coffee Story
Once upon a time a small coffee roaster named Blue Mountain Coffee opened its doors in eastern Cincinnati. Located in a bustling shopping area, the shop quickly earned a reputation for excellent coffee and a casual, artsy atmosphere. Drawing from a loyal clientele, it slowly grew by word of mouth advertising and serving quality products. A second location arrived in the downtown office building housing the corporate offices of the Macy’s department store. The owners spent time serving drinks, repairing equipment, roasting coffee, and making deliveries. Despite a forced name change to Lookout Joe, the owners pushed onward. Unwilling to grow simply for growth’s sake, the roaster stayed small, focusing on its retail locations, wholesale, catering, and office coffee service. And so the 21st Century finds Lookout Joe quietly chugging along, still a local institution with a loyal clientele and some of the best coffee around being roasted right in the front window. Sure, there’s bigger, but we don’t think there’s better.
