Business & Tech

Organic Coffee House Sets Up Shop

Kennesaw's Crank Coffee House will host its grand opening celebration March 2.

Brightly-colored artwork hangs on the walls, a bicycle sits atop shelves of organic coffee blends and neon chalk on a large blackboard urges customers to "Espresso" themselves at Crank, Kennesaw's newest neighborhood coffee shop.

The eclectic mix of decor at the Cobb Parkway coffee house is both an homage to owner Mike Rincon's passion for cycling and an invitation for community members to make the coffee house their own.

"I want this to be their second home," said Rincon, 41. "That's what a coffee shop should be."

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

"I enjoy seeing other people's talents. My passion is cycling, other people's passions may be music or art. I'd like to have sort of a fusion of all of them put together," he said.

The coffee shop, which opened in December and will host its grand opening ceremony on March 2, aims to highlight local talent by hosting band and artist performances, displaying artwork and even hosting book clubs and poetry readings.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Rincon, a Los Angeles native and avid cycler for over 30 years, said he was inspired to open the shop during a bike ride on the Katy Trail, a 225-mile trek through Missouri.

He said in the small town of Hartsburg, he stopped by a bike and coffee shop where cyclers could enjoy a cup of Joe while getting their bikes repaired.

"I was sitting there, and I was like, 'I can do this,'" he said. "It was almost an epiphany."

Rincon, who previously worked for MCI, said the idea would linger in his mind a few years until the opportunity to open the shop dropped in his lap in 2010.

In preparing for the opening of the shop, he said, "One of the first things I did was, I actually went to school." Rincon said he attended a coffee house school in L.A. and during the weeklong course, learned the essentials for selecting coffee.

Crank serves all organic blends from Beanealogy, an Atlanta-based roasting company whose coffee comes directly from the family-owned Selva Negra Estate in Nicaragua.

"As we grew older, my wife and I did research and started looking into the organic lifestyle," said Rincon. "Really what sets us apart is that all our coffees are organic. We don't serve you all the pesticides."

Just some of the shop's specialty drinks include Cranked brewed coffee with double espresso, Mexican Spiced Cocoa, Chai Latte and the Americano blend, a house favorite. Other menu items include fruit smoothies, cookies, breakfast sandwiches and Italian sodas.

"We're not a franchise," said Rincon. "We're a Mom and Pop shop."

In efforts to connect with the community, Rincon has reached out to everyone from local cycling groups to school groups and musicians. Crank recently provided coffee during a performance by the Jazz Band and hopes to host a local art show at the shop in the near future.

Crank is relatively quiet in the mornings, but its customer base is growing.

Shop patron and cyclist Kyle Rippe stopped by during a morning bike ride for an Americano. He said he's tried nearly everything on the menu.

"You need more of these types of shops that give you more of a taste of what's out there other than a corporate establishment that's just concerned about the bottom line," said Rippe.

He said people should stop by the shop "to try the best coffee in town."

Rincon, who has lived in Kennesaw with his family since 2004, said he's excited to make Crank a community hub.

"For me, Kennesaw is where I want to be. It's a small town, but it's not. You've got that Southern hospitality..."

Coming up, Crank Coffee House will have its grand opening celebration and ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday, March 2, at 12:30 p.m. On March 4 at 7 p.m. the coffee house will host a live performance from the band Critical Space Item.

Crank is located at 2655 Cobb Pkwy NW in Kennesaw. For more information, you can visit their website and facebook page.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Kennesaw