Food Report readers know we’ve been following the development and opening of Story Coffee Company for months now. Don and Carissa Niemyer, and their business partners Brandon and Kelly Noffsinger, have created a gourmet experience in a simple, intimate space and it’s been exciting to watch develop.
For a time, the tiny house did well near the holiday skate rink in Acacia Park. But with its closure came the need to find a more permanent home.
“What we found what was even though people know we’re in the park, number one it seems like it’s a psychological barrier,” says Don in an interview with the Report during a recent evening last week. “And then we are very honored to have a whole bunch of customers that come and see us but certainly not enough to make a sustainable effort.”
So the Story moved, but not far. It now lives on the Bijou Street side of Acacia Park, right behind the bandstand.
“So, since we’ve gotten over here, that whole feeling is completely different,” Don says. “We relocated two days ago, and so we’ve had our second full business day here, and the feeling is completely different. We have people just popping in.”
They’re interested in a slate of gourmet roasters like Stumptown Coffee, Brio Coffeeworks, ONYX Coffee Lab and Bespoken Coffee Roasters. The offerings change every quarter or so, with Niemyer soon to introduce beans from Square One Coffee in Lancaster, Pa.
Story Coffee also likes to play around with a signature drink. Last week it was the Coffee Old Fashioned, which I was lucky to sample. Niemyer takes cold-brew coffee and builds house-made maple simple syrup, bitters, an orange peel and a cherry on top of it. It looks and tastes similar enough to the real thing to confuse your mind for a second.
“I don’t want to pat myself on the back, but we’ve had nothing but raving reviews,” Don says. “People love what we’re doing. Our menu is simple, but it’s really quality stuff. People who get past the barrier of ‘What’s that weird thing?’ find themselves just experiencing a really elegant presentation, a nice cup of coffee.”
[Images: Bryce Crawford]
