Business SPOTLIGHT: Grindhrs Coffee with co-owner Becca Ferstle

Grindhrs Coffee has quickly become a beloved spot in downtown Toledo, known for its welcoming atmosphere and creative coffee treats like the popular "Yas Queen" iced mocha float. As an LGBTQIA+ safe space, Grindhrs stands out by fostering connections through partnerships with local businesses and organizations. If you're looking for a unique coffee experience, explore Grindhrs on Coffee Quest 419 and treat yourself to something special! Coffee Quest 419.

What inspired you and co-owner Leann Cantrell, to open Grindhrs Coffee in downtown Toledo?
My wife and co-owner, Leann Cantrell, and I are both 'transplants' to the Toledo area. Leann is originally from a small town east of here, while I am from a suburb of Detroit. Both of us were brought to the greater Toledo area for higher education and work. When Leann and I met, I was working and living in downtown Toledo. At this time, she was considering other opportunities in different cities. As a downtown Toledo enthusiast, I made it my mission, to show her how amazing downtown Toledo was. We are both avid runners, so for one of our first dates we went for a run through uptown and downtown past my favorite shops, restaurants and murals, through the farmers market, middle grounds and along the river walk. Like me, Leann quickly fell in love with downtown Toledo as well.

When Grindhrs first became a dream of ours, being downtown was naturally a part of our vision. During our planning stages, we would go “window shopping” for spaces that we thought might work for Grindhrs. Finding a space on the corner of Adams and Erie, worked out perfectly, as Adams St. is the home of many other LBGTQ+ owned businesses and safe spaces.

How does Grindhrs stand out from other local coffee shops in the area?
From being a part of Coffee Quest 419 for many years, we have learned so much about other local coffee shops and what they have to offer. Each shop has their own unique charm and offerings. What sets us apart from other local shops is we identify as a LGBTQIA+ safe space. We are proudly a lesbian owned, woman owned and veteran owned small business.

At Grindhrs we believe in treating yourself! In addition to the classic coffee shop favorites, we have many creative and unique coffee treats. We have a number of coffee and latte floats and flights topped with ice cream. One of my favorites is the “Yas Queen”, and iced mocha float topped with chocolate ice cream.

Can you share the story behind the name "Grindhrs" and how it represents your brand?
We always have a little chuckle when this question comes up. With the traditional spelling of “Grinders”, it is a common coffee shop name, because of the grinding of espresso and coffee beans to make different brews. We are a proud woman owned business, so opted to add the “hrs” to represent “hers”, to set us apart. Because we welcome good humor in our lives, our name is also similar to a name of an app most people in the queer community might be familiar with. I like to think of it as an inside joke we created within the queer community with using Grindhrs as the name of our coffee shop.

What role does the community aspect play in your business model?
Being part of the LGBTQIA+ community is a core piece of our business and values. Whenever given the opportunity, we partner with other local queer business and organizations. We have partnered with the local non-profit organization Equality Toledo on many occasions, donating our space to host some of their events and mixers. In addition, we frequently partner with Stone Productions, a queer owned theater company.

The musical talents of Stone Productions hosts sneak musical previews of their upcoming productions in our space, entertaining our guests in addition to hosting musical karaoke. When creating our business plan, we always envisioned partnering to support other LGBTQIA+ businesses and community organizations. Over the years we are continuously grateful and humbled by the support and partnerships that have developed.

How has being located downtown impacted your business and its connection with the local community?
We could not imagine any other location other than downtown Toledo! When we first opened in March of 2021, many downtown offices were still working from home and taking precautionary measures. In the 3 short years we have been open, it has been amazing to witness the regrowth and energy being restored to downtown.

What challenges have you faced as a coffee shop owner, and how have you overcome them?
We can confidently say, there is never a dull moment. In personal and professional aspects, we have faced many challenges, and have determined an important factor in succeeding and over coming is remaining flexible, open minded and continuously learning. Since my wife and I are partners in business and partners in life, one of the personal challenges we have overcome is what we call “the never-ending business meeting”.

Grindhrs is a huge part of our life, but we acknowledge its important to take a step back and make time together to unwind, without talking about things that are business related. Allowing ourselves to “end the business meeting” to regroup and relax, helps us to return with fresh ideas and an open mind.

What are your long-term goals for Grindhrs, and what can we expect in the future?
We are very grateful for our customers and the community for supporting us each day to ensure our continued success. As our business grows and as downtown continues to developed, we are striving to bring more community events to our space and expand our partnerships with more downtown small businesses and community organizations. This may not be a direct answer, but we have found the best opportunities and partnerships are the ones you didn’t see coming. We are excited to see what the future holds for Grindhrs and downtown Toledo!

Grindhrs Coffee & Community
625 Adams St, Toledo, OH 43604
Ph: (419) 214-0168
Hours: M - F: 6:30 a.m - 6 p.m
Saturday: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Sunday: 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
https://www.grindhrs.com/