“The biggest, and first challenge we had with the cafe was finding a suitable location and building. We looked at many neighborhoods around Cleveland. When we first looked at the building we are in now, it was in very rough shape and under construction, but as time went by we really started to grow attached to the building and the surrounding community.

Once we had an overall floor plan we could start sorting out materials and design elements. One of the first projects we had was coming up with a design for the tile floor in the cafe. We went through many pattern ideas, printing out large sheets on paper to see how it would feel in the space. When we had trouble finding someone to lay the tile, we decided that we would YouTube it and do the work ourselves!

The next thing we focused on was the layout for the service bar area. We did many plywood mock ups and went through many reworkings for the layouts for all of the appliances and equipment. These were areas where our backgrounds in restaurant design and millwork construction really paid off. We're happy with the way it all worked out, and the workflow makes the bar an efficient work area.

One of our challenges was coming up with a way to make the place look great on our very limited budget. We were able to do a lot of smoke-and-mirrors millwork with plywood, trimwork, and paint! We found a lot of things at architectural salvage shops, including the marble bartops in the seating areas.

The last thing we came up with was the idea for the panels on the backbar wall. With just a few days before our scheduled opening, Molly came up with an idea for the three panels that are there now—kind of an ink wash over venetian plaster applied to large panels. We put down plastic all over the floor, set the panels up on stands, and did the work overnight. The process was very organic, and I think the result is amazing, it really makes the space.

On the roastery side, everything was more focused on function, making the space practical and efficient. We were lucky to have a centrally located chimney in the building, and could place the coffee roaster in the middle of the space. Roasting coffee is a very creative process, and having a bright, organized space has made it a real pleasure to work in.

There are still many things we'd like to do to make improvements, but it is a beautiful shop. After many months of work and keeping a focus on all of the little details that go into a buildout like this, there is a magic that transforms everything when people come into the cafe. From the very beginning our goal was to create something that would encourage people to gather, to build community. We have great natural lighting, a welcoming space, and when we have a full house on a Saturday it's very easy to forget all about the hard work and long days that went into building it, and to just enjoy the party.”

"Our team has really grown into an amazing group of people with a positive, artistic outlook on life. There’s always great energy here. Everyone has a unique perspective — it’s a group of coffee lovers, but not necessarily people deep in the industry. We’ve learned a lot together, and we keep learning as we go. I’ve anchored Sundays for a long time, and it’s always fun — always kind of crazy — but there’s this overall kindness behind the bar that attracts people.

When we bring someone new on, we look for positivity and a sense of approachability. Our take on coffee is to be knowledgeable but never pretentious. People come in to be together, to be part of something, and we try to create that space. If the staff were a band, I always imagine we’d be a modern take on the ’70s acoustic rock genre, warm, eclectic, a little unpredictable, and full of life. Courtney would obviously be the lead singer.

Creativity happens naturally here. It’s an extension of how we work and where we come from, Molly with her creative vision, and me with my background in music. We’ve both been close enough to the industry to recognize people who are excited to learn, and that excitement spreads. The direction of the café, from the drinks to the vibe, has always been collaborative. There’s a lot of trust in each other and in the aesthetic. I’ve been in music my whole life, so I love collaborating. There’s a lot of art that goes into coffee, but it doesn’t have to be elevated. It’s something you can do for yourself every day. We respect that people come in for different reasons, to chat, to grab a quick cup, to ask about beans, and I think it’s important to remember that we can learn just as much from the customer as they can from us.

One of my favorite things is when someone goes on vacation and comes back with a new café story or a bag of beans from somewhere else. Everyone gets excited to share, and that energy feeds back into what we do. You’ve got to keep your mind open; you can’t go around pretending you know everything. A little humility goes a long way.

I think what keeps people around is being fair and open, making everyone part of the journey. It’s a collective thing. We do a good job of keeping it fresh, new coffees, new ideas, new approaches. Leadership changes as you grow. With the roastery and the café going down their own paths, there are more challenges , but it comes back to staying true to why we started this in the first place. Through it all, what I value most is the bond. Everyone here cares for each other deeply, and it shows. When Kelsi worked here, she did one of her fashion shows at the café, and the whole staff showed up. That support, being part of each other’s journeys inside and outside of the café, is what makes this place special.

We celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, and when someone’s struggling, people rally. There’s this genuine compassion that runs through everything we do. I think that’s what the café is all about.

“We weren’t sure what to expect when we opened the doors. We barely knew anyone in the neighborhood yet, and it was a slightly scary feeling to let in a bunch of strangers, especially as we were still masking and taking extra precautions about COVID. The atmosphere was this strange mix of anticipation and nerves, not knowing how things would go or what would happen each day. I think we were just winging it at that point, honestly! All I remember from our first day open is that we had a line to the door and Kelsi and I were on the end of the bar, trying our best to keep up with all the orders. It was like nothing we’d experienced before, and as much as you practice, the reality of service and finding your flow just takes time. We were definitely in over our heads, smiling through it all, but people were so kind, and that hasn’t changed. We have the nicest customers.

Those early years were all about building. Building community, relationships, a menu, a workplace, a team. The natural light was such a gift, some days it felt like a greenhouse in the best way possible. Having the roastery on one side and the coffee bar on the other helped connect people to the product, showing that everything was done in-house by us. Our first menu came together from years of experimenting during our pop-ups. Drinks like the Cloudburst, Salted Maple Latte, and Black Cat Mocha have been with us from the start. Some didn’t make the cut, like the Sol Tea Elixir or the Lunar Chai Latte with its moon-shaped cinnamon stencil, which I still miss.

Opening during COVID was a challenge. We were wearing gloves for everything: handling beans, drinks, even cupping, trying to make it as safe and healthy an environment as possible. It was such an odd time to enter the service industry. There are customers whose faces I didn’t see fully until years later! It’s funny how your brain fills in the blanks and sometimes you’re totally wrong.

I’ll never forget being in the Gordon Square café before opening, with paper over the windows, fixing the printer over and over again. We lived in there like bats in a cave. Or when someone on a Zoom call thought I was a mannequin because I wasn’t moving or breathing. I really don’t like being on camera!

The neighborhood welcomed us wonderfully. People were excited that we were opening in their neck of the woods. Kyle and Michelle have been with us since the beginning, even back when we were doing pop-ups at Terrestrial Brewery down the street. Now, four years later, we know all of our regulars by name. Even though you’re never sure what each day will bring, you know half the people walking through the door, and that makes everything feel different.

I still remember pulling the first shots on the new bar at our Underwriters party, the first hot Cloudburst latte with espresso instead of café au lait. It was so chocolatey and smooth, one of the best drinks I’ve ever had.

A lot of what shaped this place came from happy accidents, the people we met, the connections that brought our team together. Everyone here has come to us through some shared connection or just pure personality. A place is only as good as the people who make it run, and we’ve found some really special folks.

It’s been a learning curve and an evolution. Starting with a blank slate, hiring people without coffee backgrounds, creating our own systems. All of that helped shape Ready Set into something truly unique.

If I could give one piece of advice to anyone opening a café, it would be this: learn how to brew quality coffee before you decide to open a shop. Coffee isn’t as easy as it looks. There are years of work and experience behind every successful café. If someone is choosing to spend their money on your coffee rather than make it at home, it has to be worth it. Take the time to learn, to build your passion, and make sure what you serve is special. That’s what makes it all worth it."

“I had been doing restaurant design in Washington DC for a long time and was ready for a new adventure. I went to the San Francisco Baking Institute thinking I might want to open a bakery. My brother Chris and I have always worked on creative projects together and I loved the process. He’s a great cook and I love to bake. I wanted to move home to Cleveland and open a bakery with him. We both love coffee and felt that was essential and went to Florence to study coffee at the Espresso Academy. It was a last minute thing really and the stars aligned to make this happen. We both have a love for all things Italian — food, culture, and family background.

Our last class was the roasting class and a lightbulb went off… it was, of course, we have to roast coffee. We looked at a lot of spaces and were close to signing a few leases and then we found our current location. It was in the Italian neighborhood where, as kids, we would get bread after church on Sundays with our dad. The bones of the building designed itself, and the fact that it was built to be a women’s dance and painting studio was also a perfect match. Looking down the street and seeing the lake and this funky weird building on the corner just felt like home.

The most important aspect was to highlight the natural light in the space. A lot of coffee shops had that old-school feel, which would have worked here, but we wanted a more modern aesthetic. We loved the tile floors in the churches of Italy and that was one of the more important design aspects — we printed up about a dozen different patterns before landing on this one. The blue color was also a fun process. We wanted a blue that reflected the lake we live on, but Chris pushed for it to be bolder, and it’s a magic color.

The painting on the back wall was a last-minute thing that happened the night before we opened. I had always painted and Jeff said, “Why not do something?” We had some Venetian plaster from a project and used ink to swirl it on to the plaster as if a cup of coffee was spilled in a crazy way.

Our community has been part of this story from the very beginning. Before we even opened, we partnered with Banter to provide free coffee and meals during COVID to our neighbors near Dudley Triangle. Later, Jennifer Taggert from Lake Erie Scoops and I restarted the merchants association, and our “Shop the Block” event was one of my favorites. At the time, we had 19 women-owned businesses, and in less than 10 days, we raised over $600 for Pearl’s Girls Closet. When you first open a place, it feels like inviting strangers into your home, not knowing if what you’re doing will resonate. Now, it’s so nice to walk in and see familiar faces, hear what’s going on in the neighborhood, and feel the sense of connection that’s grown here. Watching families like Kyle and Michelle with their baby, Keith and Conrad, Pants and Jack, Ben and Teresa with Theo, all no longer babies, grow over the years has been one of the sweetest parts of this journey.

Our team and our customers are truly the heart of this place. We’re lucky to have the best of both. Working alongside such a creative, kind group and watching them add their own layers to what we’ve built has been incredibly rewarding. Over the years, the relationships that have grown out of this space have become something really special. The Broffee crew meets weekly and has celebrated weddings, baby showers, and now has a little one at the table. Our Ready Set Run Club gathers on Wednesday mornings, and our Friday group of women that call their group chat the Ready Set fan Club. One of them had their first date at Ready Set and after they got engaged they came here to celebrate. John Greiner drew our Ready Set witch for Halloween, which we still use on our Witches Brew Blend. Kelly shares her morning coffee stories on Instagram, and a customer once asked our mom, who bakes our Nana’s coffee cake, to make one for her daughter’s birthday after she got out of the hospital. Moments like these remind me this café belongs to them just as much as it does to us.

And as I look ahead, I just want to keep building to grow Ready Set into a nationally recognized coffee roaster and destination, creating a meaningful workplace where people can grow. That’s really the dream.

Jeff and I used to have a thing when we would walk out the door alone at the end of a day and turn off the lights. He would say, “It sure is pretty.” Four years later, it’s still just as pretty, maybe even more so, because of everything and everyone that’s become part of it."