Mike Wolanin | The Republic Pictured is the front counter and window bar at Lucabe Coffee in downtown Columbus, Ind., Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017.
Lucabe Coffee Co. has decided to keep its original downtown location.
Owners Tyler and Alissa Hodge have said they will continue to lease their Fourth Street shop, said Redevelopment Director Heather Pope.
“We’re happy about that and think they’re a great asset to our downtown,” she said. The couple is exercising an option to do another five-year lease agreement, with the new term beginning at the end of June. They will also have the option to renew for an additional five years after that.
The downtown shop is leased from the Columbus Redevelopment Commission.
The Hodges opened a second Lucabe location in midtown Columbus this past fall. Tyler Hodge said in a previous interview that the second branch had significantly outperformed the downtown location, as of early December.
A lack of Cummins, Inc. employees in downtown Columbus and the continued closure of The Commons (except as an event space) were cited as among challenges facing the coffee shop.
Other factors included the return to school for students, cold weather, more convenience at the new location and fewer attractions to draw customers downtown.
However, some of these factors have shifted. Cummins has now reopened its Indiana offices, including the corporate office building in downtown Columbus. Additionally, The Commons has opened up its newly-renovated James A. Henderson Playground to the public, drawing children and families to the downtown area.
In discussing the shop’s decision to renew, Hodge said that they have not seen foot traffic return to pre-COVID levels, even with the return of Cummins workers.
“We will be investing further into our space with new offerings in store, and partnering with the redevelopment commission to upgrade several aspects of the space to be more energy-efficient, which was key in our decision to stay,” he said. “These investments are enabling our ability to grow and expand our service to the downtown community.”
Hodge added that he and Alissa are hopeful that the city will continue to invest in downtown Columbus.
Lucabe’s downtown shop is located at 310 Fourth St. Officials said that the restaurant Bistro 310 vacated the space in December 2014, and efforts to find a new tenant in 2015 were unsuccessful. In August of 2016, the commission gave its approval for legal counsel to begin contract negotiations with Lucabe to open a shop in the 3,774-square-foot space.
Terms were finalized in February of 2017, and a five-year lease agreement was signed.
