Coffee Co. Cafe: It’s More Than Just Coffee!

By Crystal Laureano

I visited the Coffee Co. on Lititz Pike the other day, and what a pleasant surprise.  I’ll be totally honest, I have never been and assumed it was just a little pop-in, grab a quick coffee, cafe.  I was totally wrong! 

The whole place was packed with people enjoying coffee and delicious breakfasts.  I overheard one person mention that they have quite the roster of regular customers and you’ll probably see at least one in there every day.

So, a little history on Coffee Co. (much that I didn’t even realize before looking into them) before I tell you about my visit!  They got started in 1983 as one of the first coffee shops in the Lancaster area! John and Heidi Smuckers are the current owners, but they weren’t the first!  They are actually the fourth owners after purchasing it in 2015.  When they aren’t working hard to make things great at the cafe, they love spending time with their family, and you can feel that love seep back into Coffee Co. Cafe through their slogan, Coffee. Food. Community.

Now as I mentioned, this was my first visit.  When you enter, the cafe is full of tables for dine-in parties of all sizes, as well as an espresso bar and bar seating by the front window.  They offer a full menu for breakfast, from omelets to pancakes, as well as your favorite baked items.  For lunch, their items are all locally sourced, and I love that they support the community in that way.

They offer sandwiches, burgers, salads, soups, as well as vegetarian options! And you can’t forget to check out their seasonal offerings, I may need to go back just to try their Fall Salad.  

As for their drinks, they say they have not changed their coffee blend since they opened and they offer bottomless in-house coffee to keep you going during your time there.  Or, if specialty drinks are your preference, like mine, they have so many options on their menu, but you can also customize your drink to your liking with all of their coffee syrup options.  

During this visit, I did not dine in, but I still had great interactions with the woman at the register and the barista. The woman taking my order was very friendly and gave her input to help a very indecisive person choose a drink.  I decided to order one of their current drink specials, a toasted marshmallow latte, and one of my favorite seasonal baked goods – a cranberry orange muffin.  While they were full, and there was another to-go order ahead of me, I did not wait longer than 5 minutes for my latte, which was impressive!  

I’ll start with the muffin, even though we know everyone is eager to hear about the coffee!  This muffin was so delicious and you can tell it had been freshly baked!  It was soft and full of flavor!  They had so many options it was hard to decide, but I went with my old faithful.  As for the latte, chef’s kiss!  It was well balanced in its sweetness and you could really taste the toasted marshmallow come through. With the holidays coming up, or pretty much here, I’m eager to see what the new specials will be!

So whether you’re looking to pop in for a quick coffee to go, meet some friends for brunch, or prep for a work meeting, Coffee Co has what you’ll need!  Great food, great coffee, and a great community.