LOUDONVILLE — The smell of freshly roasted coffee now drifts from a new stop along State Route 3.
At the edge of Mohican’s winding roads, where hikers lace up their boots and cyclists head toward the trails, Evergreen Coffee Roastery and Café invites travelers and locals alike to slow down and settle in.
Inside The Hemlock Inn, Evergreen Coffee opened this month ahead of its grand opening next weekend.
Evergreen Coffee is located at 940 S. Market St. The shop is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. The café is closed Mondays.
A dream years in the making
Owners Taylor and Leigh Ann Runge said the café is more than a new business. It’s a dream the couple first talked about years ago at the very beginning of their relationship.
“On our first date, we talked about owning a hostel and coffee shop someday,” Leigh Ann said.
The Runges began roasting coffee in 2015. They sold beans at farmers markets near Columbus before moving to Montana. They returned to Loudonville during the pandemic to raise their family and purchased The Hemlock Inn. They always envisioned adding a coffee shop.
The Hemlock Inn has welcomed guests for five years. Earlier this year, the couple decided it was finally time to turn an unused space into the coffee shop they had always wanted.
An open house celebrating the grand opening and The Hemlock Inn’s fifth anniversary is set for noon to 2 p.m. next Saturday.
The Runges aren’t trying to build another grab-and-go coffee shop. They want Evergreen Coffee to be a place where someone can settle in with a book, catch up with a friend and play a board game for those willing to linger a little longer.
“We want people to appreciate how nice it can be to come in, sit down with a cup of coffee, read a book, talk to a friend and just be intentional,” Taylor said.
The story behind every sip
Their philosophy carries over into the coffee itself.
The Runges roast all of their coffee in Loudonville using specialty-grade beans sourced from around the world, including Brazil, Indonesia, Africa and Central America.
Their goal is to highlight the natural flavors of each origin. Taylor said they source beans from small farms that use sustainable growing practices.
The Runges also plan to introduce traditionally prepared matcha made with ceremonial-grade tea sourced from Kagoshima, Japan. in partnership with Gnat and Bee in downtown Loudonville.
“We want the focal point to be rooted in the vast history of these drinks,” Taylor said.
Some Loudonville residents may already know their business from the couple’s mobile café. They served drinks at local events including the Loudonville Farmers Market and the Mohican Christkindlmarkt.
The menu features traditional espresso drinks. Plans are already underway to expand their selection with pour-over coffee, additional single-origin espressos and coffee flights.
Bakehouse at Maple Lake pastries in Mansfield accompany the drinks. The café plans to expand its menu with European-inspired injected croissants and traditional Italian sandwiches with meat from Mangalitsa pigs.
Becoming part of the community
The café also complements the growing outdoor destination surrounding The Hemlock Inn. Guests staying overnight can walk just a few steps for coffee in the morning, and visitors renting electric bikes from neighboring Bear Bait Bike & Board can stop in before or after exploring Mohican.
The owners said creating a welcoming space for both tourists and residents has been one of the most rewarding parts of opening the café.
“It’s nice to see faces we see all over town come in and have coffee,” Leigh Ann said. “It feels good that we can offer something to the community too.”
The grind does not stop for the Runges — roasting beans behind the scenes and serving customers from The Hemlock Inn. They hope Evergreen Coffee becomes a place where locals and visitors can pause before the next adventure, or simply enjoy a cup of coffee.
