Roasting Coffee Is Key for Culture House Owners

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Culture House Coffee Co., located at 818 Elm St., sits just steps north of the Youngstown State University campus and near Wick Park.

The location of the coffee shop and roasting company was important to owners Stephen and Mary Protheroe of Youngstown because of the neighborhood feel of the area and its proximity to the university and downtown.

“[The shop] is not downtown, it’s not on campus, it’s in a neighborhood. When we first got here, in 2019, [the Elm Street area] was starting to develop,” said Stephen Protheroe.

He and his wife, Mary, grew up not far from the shop. Stephen said they both feel that their roots are in Youngstown.

To Stephen Protheroe, roasting his own brand of coffee is a way to bring more creative freedom to his business while supporting family-owned coffee farms.

“My wife and I have been interested in coffee since we could drink it, and early on we wanted to start our own coffee shop and roast our own coffee,” said Protheroe.

Culture House focuses on paying a higher commodity price for the beans they choose to roast, which in turn gives them better quality coffee to serve to their customers while giving family-owned coffee farms a boost.

To Protheroe, creating a brand specifically for Culture House is cool, but he really feels the best part about his business is the source of his coffee and roasting the beans in-house.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about having the power to be selective on [the coffee beans] we choose to bring in,” he said.

Culture House Coffee Co. is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Pictured at top: Stephen Protheroe and his wife owner Culture House Coffee Co.

Editor’s Note: This company story was produced in conjunction with the Western Reserve Transit Authority’s “Give Small Business a Lift Campaign.”

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.