EVERYTHING IN HOUSE

Lofts Coffee Company brings big city sensibility to Portsmouth

When Terry and Terry Ockerman decided they wanted to open a coffee shop, they had several goals in mind.

They wanted their Lofts Coffee Company in Portsmouth to be upscale, they wanted to offer the best coffee available, their coffee producers to get a fair shake when it came to getting paid and they wanted to do everything possible in house.

“We roast in house. We make our baked goods here,” said Mrs. Terry Ockerman.

Mr. Terry Ockerman travels to where the beans are grown to talk to the producers in Kenya, Ethiopia and Columbia.

“The thing about us is that we like to meet the farmer that grows our coffee and shake his hand,” said Mrs. Terry Ockerman. “We are paying a premium for the coffee beans. That way we know we are getting the highest quality coffee. In return, it helps those farmers and their communities. It helps to build their schools, their hospitals.”

Mr. Terry Ockerman said that it is important to go to the country of origin for their coffee.

“We have to have a relationship with the farmers,” he said. “We want to see where the product is grown and work with them to grow a better product for us and our customers. We meet entire families and there is a lot to be said for having that relationship.”

Once the coffee is shipped to the U.S. and delivered to the Lofts Coffee Company, it is roasted, degassed and ground up and ready to be consumed.

“Every cup of coffee you drink here has probably been roasted within seven days,” Mr. Terry Ockerman said. “We roast it, we grind it and then we sell it. So, you are getting the freshest cup of coffee in town.”

Their drink menu is a wide variety of coffee drinks from black coffee to golden lattes, teas, smoothies, frappes, immunity boosting beverages, wines, beer and mixed drinks.

The Ockermans own The Lofts apartments in the 800 block of Gallia and their coffee shop is adjacent to it and draws students and staff from Shawnee State University and the downtown business community.

Mr. Terry Ockerman said their customer base wanted a good place without the pretensions.

“They didn’t want that if you weren’t a hipster, you weren’t welcomed,” he said. “We have a unique customer base, we have everyone from 12-year-olds whose parents bring them in and we have retirees in their sixties who meet here every week. We have a huge customer base, age-wise, and we like that.”

He said the goal is to introduce their customers to a quality coffee and to feel like they are in a big city setting.

“We want to offer the same product and customer service that they would get in larger cities,” Mr. Terry Ockerman.

One interesting feature of the shop is a patio space that wraps around the back and side of the building, which is a popular draw for people to drink and talk with friends. There is also large roll up doors that are open wide on pleasant days giving the coffee shop an open-air feel.

“I wanted to build a place that I would want to go to,” said Mr. Terry Ockerman.

It is a family business for the Ockermans. Their son, Fox, a 15-yearold STEM student, helps roast the coffee beans and grinds the beans up for use in the coffee shop as well as helping package it in bags and K cups for sale.

“With our K cups, it tastes like a pour over,” said Mrs. Terry Ockerman.

The coffee shop prides itself on its baked goods such as jumbo muffins, scones, cookies and many flavors of macarons.

“We bake all of our muffins and pastries fresh every day,” said Mrs. Terry Ockerman. “Our goal is to give the community and customers a fresh product.”

Their food menu also includes waffles to go, avocado toast, cinnamon rolls, soups, sandwiches, salads, a bean burger, cheese plates, loaded oatmeal, charcuterie boards, and specialty flatbreads. a food | From the