Under the colorful sign for Angel Falls Coffee Company, visitors sip coffee as they enjoy the view of Highland Square’s retail district.
Inside, the coffee house’s circa 1996 cozy interior is inviting, filled with comfortable armchairs and spare books that encourage an unhurried visit.
The cafe’s cozy atmosphere and long history in Highland Square might be a hint as to why it was voted Akron’s best coffee and tea location by Signal Akron readers.
Co-owner Jim King takes pride in the fact that the cafe’s busiest time is during the summer, when local residents are more likely to walk to the cafe at 792 W. Market St.
“The community has changed a lot,” King said. “It’s more of a walkable neighborhood than it was before, and what is great about this neighborhood is that it has inspired things like PorchRokr, and before that, we did a lot of festivals in the Square.”
Co-owners blend tea and coffee preferences
The shop is a natural blend of its co-owners’ tastes: while King describes himself as more of a tea person, Rafael Oletta — King’s partner in business and in life — is Venezuelan and has a family history of growing coffee.
The idea for the shop was born when King moved back to Akron 32 years ago to take care of his elderly parents. Today, it’s still going strong — and King is still working hard to keep it going.
“I get here generally at 2 a.m. And then a lot of times, like the last three days, I’ve closed at 9 p.m.,” King said. “That’s 19-hour days. But it’s anywhere from 14 hours to 20 hours a day, seven days a week. I do take Christmas Day off.”
King recommends first-timers try their coffee — he says roasting their own coffee makes a big difference, especially for their light roast specialty.
While political instability in Venezuela means they can’t source their original beans, the shop’s hot chocolate still uses Venezuelan chocolate pieces and spices.
King hopes the community formed around the coffee shop is more encouraged by neighborhood beautification projects taking place than frightened by what some have called reckless behavior in the neighborhood.
“Some people are frightened of the Square now, so they don’t come into it. And that’s unfortunate,” King said. “We have an imaginative neighborhood, and what’s nice about it is it’s all different income levels, from the very inexpensive homes — or used to be — to the very expensive mansions. And they all come here, which is even better.”
1st place:
Angel Falls Coffee Co.
792 W. Market St., Highland Square
330-376-5282
Monday-Saturday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/p/Angel-Falls-Coffee-Company-100057490028026/
2nd place:
Nervous Dog Coffee Bar
1530 W. Market St., Wallhaven
330-864-2326
3rd place:
Portal West Coffee
1690 Merriman Road, Merriman Valley
330-333-0690