Wadsworth gets new coffee shop

WADSWORTH — "I wanted this to be a place where people can come and hang out," said former Wadsworth City councilman Bob Titus, who opened Rise & Grind coffee shop Wednesday. "Come in, have a cup of coffee, and do some work in an atmosphere that's just conducive with all types of activity," he said. "I'm a follower of Christ, so that can mean things like Bible study or any kind of social get-together." The shop at 120 High St. is next door to Crossroads Community Church and has drawn long lines since opening its doors. Hours run 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Gourmet coffee on the menu is accompanied by chai tea lattes and fruit smoothies as well as freshly-made donuts and muffins with roughly 20 topping options. "I heard about the place and wanted to see what was going on here," Mansfield resident Todd Sipe said after getting his order. "It seems like a lot of the breakfast places have been really busy, especially the drive-thrus. It's so limited where you can go and just swing through really quick. The setup here is very, very nice." Titus said a conference room near the back of the shop will be made available to area groups for free. The store features a full drive-thru window and Titus is also wearing the hat of day-to-day manager. "Your point when you open a business is to, of course, make money but we also want this to be a place where the community can just come to," he said. "I guess I just keep coming back to that. It's just a place to come and talk. Business has been amazing and it's been very well-received." Akron Coffee Roasters has provided Rise & Grind with a blend unique to the shop, Titus said. He thanked local health officials for helping with a relatively smooth opening process considering current circumstances. "There were a few hangups, like it taking extra long to get contractors," he said. "The Medina County Health Department has been amazing and they deserve a lot of kudos. I know they get a lot of flak but they've been very receptive with everything for us." Contact reporter Jonathan Delozier at (330) 721-4050 or jdelozier@medina-gazette.com.