Following in the footsteps of other cities around the country, Dayton, OH has seen a sharp rise of independent third wave coffee shops that focus on sustainable, single-origin sourcing and supporting local farmers and coffee growers. From electrifying cold brews, perfect flat whites, and robust single or double espressos, there are a plethora of cafés, coffee shops, popular chains, and coffee bars from which to choose in and around the city.
Ghostlight Coffee
Established in 2011, Ghostlight Coffee is a favorite neighborhood spot for great coffee, light bites, and friendly meetings where locals and visitors alike come to sip on locally roasted espresso and coffee drinks, hot chocolate, and mouthwatering pastries. Ghostlight Coffee is a multi-roaster shop that serves a variety of ethically-sourced and hand-selected coffee from some of the finest roasters across the country, including Deeper Roots Coffee from Cincinnati, Brandywine Coffee Roasters, and Onyx Coffee Lab.
The café offers a rotating selection of seasonal blends and single-origin coffees and signature house blends such as the Ghostlight dark roast blend and the Gem City light roast blend.
Ghostlight Coffee, 1201 Wayne Ave, Dayton, OH 45410, Phone: 937-985-2633
Biggby Coffee, Dayton
Located right behind the largest hospital in Dayton, Biggby Coffee is a regional coffeehouse chain that serves an array of coffee and specialty drinks, healthy smoothies, and a selection of freshly baked goods.
The family-owned and operated coffee shop offers over 100 different specialty beverages, including six different brewed coffees, hot chocolate, 12 different types of tea, hot, iced and frozen lattes, Creme Freeze smoothies, fruit- and juice-based creme freezes, and more. The food menu features bagels with several toppings, donuts, muffins, yogurt parfait, and cookies.
Biggby Coffee , 418 Warren St, Dayton, OH 45402, Phone: 937-938-5155
Boston Stoker Coffee Co.
Boston Stoker Coffee Co. is a long-standing coffee shop with cafés around the country that serves specialty brews made with locally roasted beans, a variety of teas, light fare, and a range of coffee-making equipment. Founded as a pipe and tobacco shop by Don and Sally Dean in 1973, Boston Stoker Coffee Co. was born when they started offering free, freshly brewed specialty coffee to customers while they shopped. Growing demand led the company to delve further into the specialty coffee industry, and it began locally roasting beans to sell and brew coffee with at their cafés. Today, Boston Stoker operates six coffee shops in the region and serves light fare, such as breakfast sandwiches throughout the day.
Boston Stoker Coffee Co., 34 W 2nd St, Dayton, OH 45402, Phone: 937-223-1224
Central Perc European Cafe
Central Perc European Cafe in Oakwood is a European-inspired café that serves traditional English tea in beautiful English teapots and generously sized, heavy ironstone mugs, along with scones and jam and sandwiches. Owned by British couple Mike and Rose, the café exudes an English pub vibe with an order-at-the-counter system and a full menu of espresso-based drinks, specialty lattes, hot chocolate, and Italian sodas. Central Perc European Cafe. The café serves a traditional English Afternoon tea with finger sandwiches, scones and cream, bite-size pastries and an array of beverages.
Central Perc European Cafe, 2315 Far Hills Ave #1513, Dayton, OH 45419, Phone: 937-299-5282
Coffee Hub Dayton Metro Library
Coffee Hub Dayton Metro Library is a small café at the Library’s Third Street entrance that offers a cozy space for enjoying a cup of great coffee and a sandwich while browsing the library. A Xenia-based business that recently expanded to the Library location in Dayton, Coffee Hub, serves a menu of coffee drinks including americanos, espressos, lattes, macchiatos, cappuccinos, and seasonal specialty drinks. Coffee Hub also serves light fare such as sandwiches, freshly baked pastries, and box lunches, as well as juices and sodas, and is open all day Monday through Saturday.
Coffee Hub Dayton Metro Library, 215 E 3rd Street Cafe, Dayton, OH 45402, Phone: 937-347-7972
Duck Donuts - University of Dayton
Duck Donuts is a family-owned and operated chain of donut shops that offers a unique build-your-own, made-to-order concept. The cafés allow you to customize your own donuts with icing, sprinkles, and other toppings, which are made fresh when they arrive. Fresh donuts are accompanied by a selection of coffee, including americanos, espressos, lattes, macchiatos, cappuccinos, and seasonal specialty drinks. Duck Donuts is open for breakfast and lunch daily.
Duck Donuts - University of Dayton, 1200 Brown St #115, Dayton, OH 45409, Phone: 937-951-2618
EPIC Coffee Shoppe
EPIC Coffee Shoppe has two locations in Ohio, namely Kettering and Dayton, that serve fine artisan coffees along with freshly baked pastries and cakes and handcrafted coffee desserts. The café in Dayton has large windows that bask interiors in natural light, modern décor and plenty of comfortable seating, and offers a range of coffee and boutique roasted specialties. Ideal for a casual gathering with friends or a quick morning coffee, the friendly café has something for everyone and is open for breakfast and lunch daily.
EPIC Coffee Shoppe, 22 W Stroop Rd, Dayton, OH 45429
Gem City Catfe
Gem City Catfe is a quiet café that combines fantastic coffee and delicious fare with cute and cuddly cats. The cat café has a room full of cats that can be cuddled, loved, and even adopted, while you enjoy a cup of coffee and a slice of cake. Gem City Catfe also offers a variety of specialty coffee drinks and handmade sodas, along with mouthwatering croissant sandwiches and assorted pastries and cakes, all of which can be enjoyed in the separate cat lounge, or the comfortable café. Gem City Catfe also has an upstairs art gallery with large tables, cozy chairs, plenty of seating for gatherings, and walls adorned with local artworks.
Gem City Catfe, 1513 E 5th St, Dayton, OH 45403, Phone: 937-949-9170
Heritage Coffeehouse, Dayton
Based in the Heritage Center, Heritage Coffeehouse is a casual student haunt that provides a laid-back spot for sipping coffee, snacking on fresh pastries, and catching up on some work with complimentary wireless Internet. The café serves a variety of coffee, including americanos, espressos, lattes, macchiatos, cappuccinos, and seasonal specialty drinks, including nitro, Chemex, pour-over, French press, and drip coffee. Open for breakfast and lunch daily; the café also serves a range of freshly baked pastries, sandwiches, muffins, and other snacks.
Heritage Coffeehouse, 300 College Park Drive Miriam Hall Room 306 Dayton, OH 45469
Kobrick Coffee Co.
Located in the Premier Health Center, Kobrick Coffee Co. is a family-owned and operated business that has been hand-roasting coffee in small batches for over four generations. Founder, Samuel Kobrick takes pride in using Direct Trade, Fair Trade, Certified Organic, and Rainforest Alliance coffee, which is roasted at a Certified Organic and Star K Kosher roastery before being brewed and served in a variety of espresso, blends, and single-origin roasts. The Kobrick barista shop sells a range of house-roasted coffee, local and imported teas, and coffee-related accessories and showcases baristas who are cross-trained as mixologists creating artisan forms of craft coffee and craft cocktails.
Kobrick Coffee Co., 110 N. Main Street Lobby-Second Street Entrance, Dayton, OH 45402, Phone: 937-499-9881
Mysterium Coffee
Mysterium Coffee is a locally-owned and operated small-batch craft roaster in Trotwood that specializes in small batches of freshly roasted coffees sourced from small independent farms around the world. The roastery purchases beans in small micro-lots, which are carefully roasted in small batches in an Artisan 6 fluid bed coffee roaster. Located on Main Street, Mysterium Coffee features custom-roasted premium coffees from countries like Brazil, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Ethiopia. The café’s specialty is using espresso and pour-over brewing processes to enhance the robust character and flavor of each bean, served in a variety of forms. The café also serves loose tea blended by third-generation tea masters, along with healthy smoothies, and homemade brownies and cookies.
Mysterium Coffee, 486 E Main St, Trotwood, OH 45426, Phone: 937-623-4447
Press Coffee Bar
Press Coffee Bar is a petite café with a casual, laid-back atmosphere that house roasts coffee under the name Wood Burl Coffee and serves a variety of drinks from a stylish espresso bar. The café features minimalist décor and a sleek Scandinavian ambiance with ample seating and complimentary wireless Internet. Press serves four to seven types of single-origin coffees, ranging from single and double espressos to macchiatos and artistic lattes. The coffee menu is accompanied by freshly baked pastries from the Blue Bike Bakery and Evans Bakery in Old North Dayton.
Press Coffee Bar, 257 Wayne Ave, Dayton, OH 45402, Phone: 937-286-4585
Tastefully Roasted Coffee
Founded in June 2017 by baristas with a passion for great coffee, Tastefully Roasted Coffee is a local, neighborhood coffee shop with cozy nooks and quiet corners, comfy couches and plush armchairs, large and small tables and bar seating. The coffee menu features a variety of classics and rotating specials made with fresh, locally sourced beans, brewed to order and full of character and taste, paired with an array of breakfast, lunch, and snack options, and freshly baked pastries and other sweet treats. Located on Oakwood Avenue, the friendly community spot offers complimentary wireless Internet and is ideal for catching up on work.
Tastefully Roasted Coffee, 6 Oakwood Avenue, Dayton, OH 45409, Phone: 937-813-3311
Wholly Grounds
Wholly Grounds is a friendly neighborhood coffee shop and café on Wayne Avenue that serves traditional and specialty coffee drinks, espresso, bag, and loose-leaf teas from tea producing countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and healthy smoothies. The coffee menu serves a variety of signature coffees and specialty drinks and traditional offerings like mochas and lattes, using various brew methods such as pour-overs, Chemex, and espressos. The casual café has a warm and welcoming atmosphere with comfortable seating, warm wooden accents, and complimentary wireless Internet, and serves a small menu of light, made-from-scratch fare such as freshly baked pastries, egg croissants, sandwiches, and salads.
Wholly Grounds, 825 Wayne Ave, Dayton, OH 45410, Phone: 937-349-5807
Winans Fine Chocolates & Coffees
Winans Fine Chocolates & Coffees is a family-owned business in its fourth generation that has been producing and selling handmade premium chocolates, freshly roasted coffees, and artisanal gifts since the late 1800s. Hand-selected coffee beans sourced from around the world are locally roasted in Ohio and served and sold in retail stores across the Midwest, along with handcrafted products and gift baskets. The coffee menu features several blends, single origins from around the world, flavored coffee, and seasonal coffees such as the Oreo Frap and the Buckeye Frap, all of which are roasted fresh every week using a small batch roaster to ensure roast consistency.
Winans Fine Chocolates & Coffees, 6735 Miller Ln, Dayton, OH 45414, Phone: 937-890-0705
