Written by: Matthew Orquia
Morning Brew Co, a business that provides coffee catering services for events and recently ran a pop-up cart at The Commons, is opening a new coffee shop in Cambridge Square, according to owner Denis Liskevich.
The original opening date at the end of January has been delayed due to construction, said Liskevich, but the company is aiming to open the shop in February or March.
According to an announcement from the Cambridge Square development office, the shop will serve both traditional and specialty coffees, as well as danishes, scones and crepes.
“I want it to be a local coffee shop where people are able to get a good cup of coffee… [and] just have their day slow down for a minute or two as they enjoy a cup of coffee.”
“Originally we were aiming to work with the local bakeries and shops, but unfortunately we just weren’t able to find the quality and find what we were looking for in terms of pastries,” Liskevich said. “We’re sort of trying to be more toward the European style and European pastries.”
Morning Brew Co will work with the Chattanooga-based Goodman Coffee Roasters to provide their coffee beans, the same roasters that Liskevich used while running Morning Brew Co’s pop-up cart. At its Cambridge Square location, the company also will offer whole coffee beans for sale. According to Liskevich, Morning Brew Co chose Goodman after trying several other roasters in Chattanooga.
“They’re great people, [and] it’s great working with them,” Liskevich said. “They’re really helpful, and I was able to get a beautifully delicious chocolate and nutty coffee from them.”
Liskevich said Morning Brew Co picked Cambridge Square as the location for its new shop because as owners, he and his wife saw the need for a coffee shop in that area. According to Liskevich, his company has sold its products at markets in Cambridge Square before, and its coffee was well received by the people there.
“It just honestly worked out so perfectly where we were able to get an opportunity to get a spot,” Liskevich said.
Jim Cheney, who handles marketing and leasing for Cambridge Square, stated in an email to the Accent that Morning Brew Co’s ambition and energy when approaching Cambridge Square helped demonstrate that they would be a good fit.
“Morning Brew complements the current business owners in Cambridge,” Cheney stated. “They recognize the value of being surrounded by local entrepreneurs, and they embrace that same mindset.”
Liskevich said that after getting married, he and his wife moved from Ohio to Chattanooga, where they started to get more involved in making coffee as a hobby and then decided to pursue it more seriously.
“We kind of kept growing and growing to the point where I decided to just do it as a side hustle and just give it a shot,” Liskevich said. “And luckily, I think we were able to have some success with it.”
Their experience running the pop-up coffee bar at The Commons taught Morning Brew Co more about the community of Ooltewah and Collegedale, which helped them decide to open their shop in the area, according to Liskevich.
“My goal is to create a coffee shop — not just to have a coffee shop, but also for [the] community as well,” Liskevich said.
Liskevich said his goal is to make the coffee shop a “staple of the community” and a place where coffee can help people appreciate the little moments in life.
“I want it to be a local coffee shop where people are able to get a good cup of coffee … [and] just have their day slow down for a minute or two as they enjoy a cup of coffee,” Liskevich said.
