From Clintonville to the East Market, this local eatery is redefining how Columbus does waffles

“I wasn’t even a waffle guy before. One morning, I was at breakfast with my wife and said to myself, what about waffles?” That’s what local owner of Winston’s Coffee & Waffles, Steve Elshoff, said when asked about the ‘why’ behind the local favorite food truck. 

Elshoff grew up working in the food industry and always knew he wanted to have a place of his own one day, though his path to ownership was unconventional. After high school, Elshoff made a career in Television Production and produced national programs in Chicago and New York City. The midwest spirit drew him back to Columbus where he produced a show called Buckeye Classics for Fox Sports. 

Upon his return to Columbus, he grew increasingly interested in getting a start in the food industry but knew one thing for certain – he didn’t want to own a pizza place because of the late-night hours. 

“I didn’t want to be up past midnight,” said Elshoff. “From that moment on, I started brainstorming what food I wanted to bring to the city. I knew it had to be unique in order to succeed.” 

Elshoff knew that Columbus had a gap in the craft waffle scene, with a previously famous waffle shop leaving North Market just months prior. With that, Elshoff was off to the races creating new ideas on how to implement waffles into the Columbus food market and ways to transform a normal Belgian waffle into a delectable meal for meat lovers, sweet tooths and everyone in between. 

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Elshoff’s idea for Winston’s Coffee & Waffles came right around the time that the entire world started to shut down due to the onset of COVID-19. When faced with the decision on whether or not to purchase a brick-and-mortar location, he decided on a food truck—a decision that stuck with the business well after the world opened back up.  

In the heart of Clintonville, Winston’s Coffee & Waffles sells this classic fare in three ways; Common style, Baron style and Crown Style. Each style appeals to different taste preferences in its own way. Whether you prefer a mountain of whipped cream or savory buffalo chicken, Winston’s is guaranteed to have a choice on the menu to fit every preference. 

The first style, Common, uses a malted batter and is stuffed with creative toppings including cheese, sausage, bacon, veggies and more. The Crown style is for those sweet tooths out there, complete with caramelized pearl sugar and Reese’s peanut butter, Nutella, whipped cream—you name it. The third and most recent release is the Baron style waffle, where Winston’s slices a typical Belgian waffle in half and uses it as the bun for a breakfast sandwich-style dish. 

Waffles aren’t the only thing Winston’s specializes in, as Elshoff and his family have been long-time lovers of Crimson Cup Coffee. The truck also serves Crimson Cup to a group of regulars every day and is equipped with a full espresso bar. 

COVID-19 took its toll on many restaurant owners in the past 3 years but it gave the concept something influential—its name.

Elshoff, a huge history buff, knew he didn’t want his name attached to the business from the very beginning. 

“When brainstorming ideas for the company, the story of Winston Churchill was engraved in my mind,” Elshoff said. “Winston Churchill had this fearlessness about him when entering World War II and ultimately knew that the Allied Powers would overcome in the end. I saw that symbolism in the struggles we were facing as a community with COVID-19 and ultimately, decided on the name ‘Winston’s Coffee & Waffles’ as a symbol of fearlessness and overcoming what was to come.” 

One of Elshoff’s hopes in building the company was to find a partner that would be more than qualified to take it over one day. Katie Bolon, Chief Operating Officer and part owner of Winston’s, came from a Fortune 500 career with no prior food experience. Elshoff knew there was a story behind her resume and quickly learned that she was exactly who he wanted to do business with. 

“The 614 is a place where dreamers can bring their dreams to life,” said Bolon. “It’s close-knit yet still a major city with amazing people and places. Steve was able to successfully bring his waffle concept to life here with the support of the community, fellow small business owners and local influencers and media outlets.” 

Winston’s recently opened its second food truck, located in the Historic Trolley District in Franklin Park Neighborhood. Elshoff says he still sees a brick-and-mortar store in the future and hopes to continue bringing the Columbus community together through food and coffee. 

“I thought I needed 40 things to fall in place to make Winston’s happen. As it turns out, I actually needed 150 things to fall in place and every single one of them did because of the great people of Columbus helping out in every way. That’s what makes giving back to this community so special.” 

Next time someone asks the question “What’s for breakfast,” Winston’s Coffee & Waffles is sure to make the foodie in you reply, “What about waffles?” 

Want to read more? Check out our print publication, (614) Magazine. Learn where you can find a free copy of our new December issue here!

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