Youth and parents have new place to go with French Press opening in West Lafayette

Leonard L. Hayhurst, Coshocton Tribune
·3 min read

WEST LAFAYETTE − Kimberly Yoder hopes the new French Press Café will become a hangout spot for residents of West Lafayette, especially youth, and not just a place to get a cup of coffee.

The shop at 103 W. Railroad St. used to be a pallet store. It took nearly three months to renovate. It's in the same strip as Hecates Realm spiritualism store, Blooming Wildflower Pups pet grooming and Fred's Got Worms bait store and Yippee Kayak boat rental. And, it's around the corner from the Brickstone Building.

Kimberly Yoder stands behind the counter of her French Press Cafe, which recently opened in West Lafayette. It offers coffee from the Baltic Coffee Co., bubble teas and lemonades, hot tea and Italian sodas. Basic breakfast sandwiches and pastries are also on the menu. Many of the items are from other small businesses, which Yoder is happy to support.

Yoder has a child in each building of the Ridgewood Local Schools campus and providing a safe place for youth to go after school to hangout and do homework was one driving factor for starting the shop. Also there wasn't anywhere for folks to grab a coffee and a snack before heading to work since the closing of the Ridgewood General Store. Heavenly Sweets Bakery is opening a satellite location in the Brickstone Building later this month.

It took nearly three months to renovate the space now occupied by the French Press Cafe, located at 103 W. Railroad St.
It took nearly three months to renovate the space now occupied by the French Press Cafe, located at 103 W. Railroad St.

Community response has been strong with the cafe's Facebook page earning more than 2,000 followers before ever opening.

Yoder, also a hairstylist with Great Clips, is a member of WE R WL, a group focused on revitalization efforts and community projects. She's thrilled to be part of the number of in local businesses that have popped up in the last year.

"There's no place for (students) to go after school and grab something before practice or a game. There's also nowhere for people to go on their way to work. They have to drive into Coshocton. Some are on their way to Millersburg, so they just wait until they get to Millersburg," Yoder said.

Kimberly Yoder incorporated a play area into her new coffee shop, so children have their own area when parents want to sit and have a beverage or snack.
Kimberly Yoder incorporated a play area into her new coffee shop, so children have their own area when parents want to sit and have a beverage or snack.

There is a play area for younger children. A part of the café has a raised stage area that could be used for dancing or a musician to setup. Yoder also wants to have trivia nights and other special events. She's talked to some already about renting the space out for private parties as well.

"Kids don't want to sit and listen to adults talk, that was a big thing for the play café," Yoder said on the play area. "We need a place moms can come, dads can come, grandparents can come, it doesn't matter who has the kids. Mom and Dad if they want to come have a drink, have a dessert and they don't want to pay for a sitter or they don't have a sitter."

The business offers a variety of coffees from Baltic Coffee Co., bubble teas and lemonades, hot tea and Italian sodas. There will also be basic breakfast sandwiches and pastries from Der Dutchman. Yoder said some pastries will be baked by her or other local home bakers.

"We wanted to keep everything as local as we could because we're a small business and we want to help other small businesses," Yoder said.

The French Press Cafe in West Lafayette.
The French Press Cafe in West Lafayette.

French Press Café will be open from 6 to 7:30 a.m. and then 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday. Yoder will close briefly daily to take her kids to school. Saturday hours are 8 a.m. to noon. Closed on Sundays. Find our more on the shop's Facebook page. A loyalty card with a free drink after 10 punches is available.

Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @llhayhurst.

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: French Press Café opens in West Lafayette