Winans brings chocolate, coffee to Grandview Yard
Visitors to Grandview Yard soon will have a new spot to satisfy their sweet tooth and get a cup of joe.
Winans Chocolates + Coffees + Wines will open early next year in the newly completed building at 1125 Yard St. in Grandview Heights.
“I think what sets us apart is that our chocolate is handcrafted and homemade in our own factory and the 35 varieties of chocolate are the same ones Winans sold when it opened its first store,” said Matt Finkes, franchise co-owner and operator of the Winans outlet at the Yard.
The Piqua-based Winans Chocolates & Coffees was established in the early 1900s and is in its fourth generation of family ownership, he said.
“I grew up with Winans,” Finkes said. “When I was a kid in the Piqua area, I loved going there for chocolate. When I came to Columbus to attend Ohio State, I still liked getting Winans Chocolate for every holiday.”
The company now has 17 stores in Ohio and Iowa, including three central Ohio locations in downtown Columbus, German Village and Dublin.
“We do some mail-order business, but primarily we’re a retail operation – a relaxing place where you can come and take a break to enjoy a treat, enjoy premium freshly roasted coffee or enjoy a glass of wine,” Finkes said.
The coffee sold by Winans is obtained directly from growers from around the world, he said.
“We visit coffee farms and sometimes will buy out the entire farm so that some of our coffees aren’t available anywhere else,” Finkes said.
Winans has been eager to open a store in the Grandview area for several years, he said.
“When this location at Grandview Yard became available, we knew we had found our spot,” Finkes said. “It’s close to Grandview, close to campus, close to Upper Arlington and Victorian Village. We can serve the people who live and work in the Yard, but also those who live nearby and want to stop by.”
Winans will occupy about 1,600 square feet on the ground floor of the building. The store is expected to open in January, Finkes said.
The second floor at 1125 Yard St. is occupied by OhioHealth and Columbus Obstetricians-Gynecologists medical offices.
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