‘Influencer’ couple announces opening date of stunning coffee shop in historic Central Ohio neighborhood
Mike and Kayla Tompkins have been featured on The Ellen Show, The Today Show, on a Jennifer Hudson song, and they even lived with the celebrity music producer and rapper, Timbaland, in Miami. They’ve also lived in Canada, L.A., and Nashville, and have traveled the world as “influencers,” first getting their start after Mike’s acapella videos went viral on Youtube.
Their next venture, however, is a little more lowkey.
“And we have no regrets at all,” Kayla told us.
They moved to Westerville from Nashville during the pandemic, settling on the Columbus suburb after realizing so many of their loved ones and friends already lived here. While in Nashville, Kayla and Mike said they felt lonely. And even years before that, while traveling the world as influencers, they would often try to find a sense of belonging in coffee shops in different cities, still not quite finding that community they were searching for.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
So, they’re opening their own special spot, “for people to gather,” Kayla said. “We want people to feel seen, and we want the Westerville community to feel like we created this place for them to gather. We don’t want people to ever feel lonely.”
Their concept, Begin Cafe, will hold its soft opening on April 24th at 8 E. Main St. in the heart of Uptown Westerville. And we can already tell it’s a place where you’ll feel at home.
The couple has kept the stunning, original windows of the buildings, dating back to 1910, and their dreamy decor is inspired by some of their favorite coffee shops in Brooklyn. With the help of the German-based interior design firm, Rowe, the space is, “Inspired by the symbolism of the resilient wildflower; organic textures, pops of color and floral forms will be woven into the space against the more neutral backdrop of the architectural shell. Textured plaster, glazed clay tile, warm woods, concentrated bright colors, floral light fixtures and flower patterned wallpaper.”
As much as we love a pretty coffee shop, the actual coffee has to be good, too. It already sounds like it will be. They’ll be featuring a rotation of roasters, and when they open, espresso from both Florin and Royal Flamingo Coffee will be featured, alongside cold brew from Brootlegg, and drip coffee from the St. Pete roaster, Look Alive. Enjoy a cappuccino with home-made cookies, scones, yogurt bowls, acai bowls, and even gourmet toasts.
Check out Begin Cafe’s Instagram for a sneak peek of the space before visiting them on April 24th!
Want to read more? Check out our print publications, (614) Magazine and Stock & Barrel. Learn where you can find free copies of our newest issues here!
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
