Our Story

Thought. Care. Quality.

  • Upper Cup Coffee has been in business since 2010, but our story begins in Eritrea, an East African country located southeast of the Red Sea. Coffee is an integral part of daily life in the Eritrean culture. It is a beverage of choice for any occasion and season.

    The Habte family immigrated to the United States in the early 1980s and settled in Columbus, Ohio. The coffee culture was carried across the Atlantic Ocean in the hearts and minds of my parents. As a child watching my parents and their friends enjoy coffee, I often wondered why they did not go for the simpler approach of store-bought packaged coffee. But, as later I learned, coffee making and drinking are not about simplicity. It is about creating an authentic taste and organic experience.

    Wanting to share this flavorful, coffee experience with our community, family, and friends in our adopted home, we came up with a concept of bringing the same delicious coffee modified to make it accessible. Uncertain of the reception for artisan coffee, we started small as a wholesale operation in January 2010.

  • It has been a successful venture, and the success resulted in us producing a following, which enabled us to establish a direct link with our wholesale customers and coffee lovers of Central Ohio.

    In September 2011, Upper Cup Coffee Co. opened its first retail location in Olde Towne East, where we roasted the coffee onsite for both for immediate consumption and resale. The placement of the roaster at the shop is designed to encapsulate that delightful and nostalgic aromatic space. In 2016, we opened our second retail site in Gahanna, expanding and bringing our love of coffee to another Central Ohio community.

    In 2020, we reached another milestone by relocating our roasting and packaging operation to a 2,400 square feet warehouse in the South Linden neighborhood, a centrally located facility in the heart of a historically African-American community.

  • The warehouse is outfitted with state-of-the-art roasting equipment and a capacity to roast up to 200 pounds per hour.

    It allows us to serve and meet the coffee needs of all quantites and sizes—1 ounce packages to five found bags in whole beans or ground coffee.

    Finally, we can help you design and implement your coffee program and service whether you are opening up a new restaurant or are seeking coffee program for your organization.

    We can deliver your coffee to any address within continental US.

    If your business is interested in becoming one of our wholesale partners, please visit our wholesale page to fill out the contact form.

    Thank you for your business!

    -Micael G. Habte, CEO

  • We are most proud of the community our patrons have created by filling both locations with peace, friendship, and support.

    Learn more about our shop offerings here.

    *When visiting one of our shop locations, please be respectful to your neighbors and maintain 6ft.*

  • Each month, both shop locations will feature a collection from an artist. Check out the current artists on display here. To contact us about having your art on display at Upper Cup, contact us here.

  • Every 2nd and 4th Sunday from 4pm - 8pm at 80 Parsons Avenue across from Upper Cup Coffee’s Old Towne East location. Hosted by ‘The Royal Oak Initiative.’

  • We offer the opportunity to rent both locations for any special event. Contact us here.

  • Check out Upper Cup in the press here.