Free Refills and Weird Atmosphere at Coffee Hub

“Hey! It’s the re free fill guy!”

The first time I walked into Coffee Hub in Xenia with Luke I was confused. Re free fill? Turns out “re free fill” was supposed to be “free refill,” and I was just missing out on the joke.

I’ve been excited to write this post for awhile because every time I have gone to Coffee Hub, I couldn’t find the words to describe or state my opinion. Past the funny free refill conversation with the barista, I was kind of apathetic towards the shop.

Now it’s time for me to really pay attention and decide just how to describe Coffee Hub’s atmosphere and drinks.

Atmosphere

Interesting. Visiting Coffee Hub this time from a more analytical point of view, interesting was the first word that came to mind. Not positive, but also not negative. Just interesting.

The space is big, open, and airy—not necessarily your typical coffee shop vibe. Besides the size, there are two other aspects that give Coffee Hub a unique atmosphere:

• First, it’s currently under construction. All the walls are white and the back is filled with unfinished dry wall, plastic, and scaffolding.

• Second, the space is shared with Toward Independence, a nonprofit that seeks to “empower people with developmental disabilities to experience the fullest life possible.” This is part of why the space is so large and currently undefined, but it still feels very random.

Also, side note—the long mysterious staircase to an unknown upstairs? Yeah, that’s not part of Coffee Hub, and there’s not extra seating in a secret, super cute room. I checked.

Coffee Hub does have some design elements going for them. The burlap sacks, wooden Ohio-shaped decorations, and a corrugated metal counter give it a distinctly “Ohio” vibe. Recently added string lights crisscross the seating and attempt to make the space seem a little more intentional.

The plentiful and eclectic combination of tables are good for studying, but predominately filled with Xenia locals. They also have cute spring table decorations!

I think Coffee Hub is the only coffee shop I’ve been to that doesn’t have music playing. That fact combined with the large, white aesthetic make it feel more like a classroom than a coffee shop.

Drinks & Prices

Despite the strange atmosphere, Coffee Hub is really good on the drinks and prices front. The self-serve drip brew station is relatively cheap, and they have standard pricing on everything else.

My vanilla latte was nice and creamy but not too sweet (it even still tasted like coffee).

Plus, if you get hungry, they sell an assortment of local baked goods. Or you can pop over to One Bistro, the neighborhood eatery and business partner right next door.

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So, weird atmosphere but great coffee. I guess I don’t like giving negative reviews unless I have very strong reasons to do so. Coffee Hub does have a lot of potential, and I’m excited to come back next semester and see what they’ve done with it. If nothing changes, however, I think an apathetic “interesting” is all the opinion I’ll have.