Italy RThe long awaited Rising Star Coffee Roaster finally opened last Friday on the corner of Edge Hill and Murray Road. The store is not too eccentric, instead blending with the scenery around it, so you may not notice at first glance.

However, its unique take towards the brewing and consumption of coffee is anything but bland.
The design of the cafe is angular and has a modern feel. The register is in the center of the store, surrounded by a bar where visitors can sit, order coffee and study.

Manager Felicia Tiller noted, “A lot of students come here to study and do work. So why are there not any outlets? We opened in Little Italy because of the mix of cultures here. There is an old-school feel, but also tons of students coming through each day. I have worked in places with a sea of laptops, and it can discourage conversation. To maintain the friendly theme of Little Italy, we opted to create a relaxed environment not focused on technology.”

The main attraction of Rising Star Coffee Roaster is the coffee itself. For coffee lovers concerned with the lack of high quality coffee near the Case Western Reserve University campus, Rising Star Coffee House is a refreshing change of pace.

The store features both an array of coffee and espressos. Rising Star always offers three different types of coffee.

“We select which coffees go on the menu according to our opinion of what the three best coffees are that we currently have in stock,” said Tiller.

Coffee can be brewed as either pour-over or aeropress. The espresso menu is standard, centered heavily around the variety of flavors of espresso.

When I visited, they had coffee from Kenya, Ethiopia and Costa Rica. The menu described the differences between each one to help customers decide, and the employees were also helpful with navigating the menu to find what someone might prefer. I ordered the Ethiopian Coffee, which was strong, but sweet; good for people new to drinking good coffee.

Unfortunately, it took them a few minutes to make the coffee, so Rising Star will not fit the needs of people who are on the go and in need of a quick cup of joe. Also, the better quality comes with a high price. The coffees are not too expensive, but may seem too small for those expecting something similar to Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts.

When asked how Rising Star became what it is today, Tiller answered confidently. “Kim [Jenkins, the owner of the store] is the kind of person that when he does things, he does them the best,” said Tiller. “Coffee is a crop, and we want to highlight the effort of the growers.”

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