By Kathryn Rowe For The Miami Student
The Oxford Coffee Company, 21 Lynn Ave., has been open for a little under a year and caters to an overwhelming demand for caffeine. Competing for business with a handful of other coffee shops in the area, Miami graduate and full-time barista Eric Kogge said the Oxford Coffee Company is doing just fine.
According to Kogge, the coffee company keeps up with the competition by roasting it's own coffee, which it imports from all over the world. Kogge said roasting coffee has set them apart from the other places Uptown because they offer it in the freshest way possible.
Managing Director at the Oxford Coffee Company Robert Thurston said he could not agree more and said he truly cares about the coffee that is being served to his customers.
"Roasting our coffee makes it known to people that we really control the quality all the way through," said Thurston.
According to Thurston, the amount of coffee they sell per day is always changing. Some days its 20-25 cups and on other days it's more. They also sell coffee supplies, bags and green beans to locals.
Most of the coffee and materials sold at the Oxford Coffee Company are sold to locals in Oxford, including those who attend the farmer's market on Saturdays, however the coffee shop is working towards building a student clientele, according to Thurston.
But to do so, the Oxford Coffee Company finds itself competing with several existing coffee shops. Across town stands Kofenya on High Street, two Starbucks and King Café in King Library.
Kofenya, which opened in 2004, generated a total of $1200 in sales and sold over 100 regular cups of coffee last Tuesday, October 15, alone.
Senior Katie Fink, Kofenya employee of three and a half years said Kofeyna is all about providing for their customers.
"We're interested in what's good for us and our customers more than what everyone else is doing," Fink said. "Our staff is a close-knit family. For us, it's not about the money, it's about the product we're selling and the relationships we're making with our customers."
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Fink said Kofenya is also concerned with keeping up with the competition and last year, they updated their technology with the purchase of an iPad.
Fink said Kofenya is special because it provides a space for teachers to hold office hours, friends to hang out and students to get homework done.
Junior Miami University student and coffee lover Shea O'Doherty said, rather than going to big businesses like Starbucks, she enjoys the small coffee shops Uptown.
"I live Uptown and usually am drinking coffee everyday," O'Doherty said. "I prefer going to local coffee shops to support Oxford and small business owners over everything else, I also love the ambiance these places provide."
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