A second coffee shop called Zanzibar Brews just opened on Long Street in the King Lincoln District, a mere five months after the first coffee shop (Urban Spirit) opened just a few blocks away. Is this up-and-coming neighborhood ready to support two independent coffee shops?
According to their website, Zanzibar will serve a variety of breakfast items, sandwiches, soups, salads, wraps, and desserts in addition to coffee. Their hours are from 7am to 9pm, with extended hours on Fri & Sat (11am) and shortened hours on Sunday (8am to 7pm).
Update: Anne & I just went over there tonight to grab some dinner to bring home, and scope the place out a bit. I think Urban Spirit feels much more like an independent coffee shop, and this place had a much more corporate feel. Looks like they had some money to spend on the decor. Felt a bit like a Panera, for better or for worse. I thought it was nice. Looks like it seats about 30 people, and they have some room for a patio outside. They have a main entrance on Long St, and a back entrance that connects to the lobby of the offices in the bulding. I imagine they’re going to do well with the office workers in the building, and probably even better when the Lincoln opens up next Spring, which is nearly directly across the street.I noticed the coffee they served is Stauf’s, for those who drink coffee.
They also had milkshakes and smoothies, Graeter’s Ice Cream, and a few other items that aren’t on the online menu. Anne got a veggie wrap ($4), and I got a ham & cheese sandwich ($4.50). We each got a cinnamon roll for dessert ($2.25 each). Total was $13. Employees were very friendly and chatted us up a bit. The food wasn’t bad. The sandwiches and wraps are pre-made in to-go containers, so I’m interested to try out a panini, which I assume is made in the kitchen to order.
And the most interesting part… they have an area towards the back that looks to be set up for a bar. There’s some lower lounge seating next to it too. The only thing missing was booze and a bartender. It didn’t really hit me until we got home, but the menu I grabbed does say “Coffee Shop and LOUNGE”, and their logo has a cocktail on it.
I’ll have to ask about it next time I stop by, because if they are going to serve alcohol, I can see the place feeling very much like a MoJoe Lounge.
Oh, and lastly, there’s now a dry cleaners next door to them as well. “Elite Dry Cleaners” according to the flyer/price guide I picked up in the coffee shop. Their prices look reasonable, so I’ll have to give them a shot sometime. I intentionally try not to buy any clothes that need try cleaning, but I wouldn’t mind taking a few shirts and slacks and sweaters there if they do a good job with them.
The 29th Annual Jazz & Ribs Festival kicks off downtown today and runs through this weekend that is mostly dominated by smaller Independent Art events (we are the capital of that, after all). Cow Tipping will be happening at Junctionview Studios on Saturday, and on Sunday there will be an Artists Reception for a show at Caterina in German Village, as well as some local film and video shown at the Interactive Cinema show at Studio 35.
Last week, the leaders of the City of Columbus 
COTA has been on a roll in 2008 (pardon the pun). Ridership is growing every month. They partnered with google to make trip planning easier. They increased routes in May. And now they’re considering adding new bendy buses to their fleet.
