For me there is more to coffee than just the caffeine or the aroma – it’s the idea of coffee that I love.

Growing up, we didn’t have a lot of coffee around the house; my father likely had a cup at the office on occasion but my mother never drank it. The only time there was ever coffee in my house was when they threw a party. Unbeknownst (at least I thought) to their guests, I would sneak around finishing cup after cup as people set them down. It didn’t matter what was in them – black coffee, coffee with sugar, coffee with cream, coffee with cream and sugar – every cup went down smoothly. To this day, the smell of coffee brewing is the promise of a party and an adventure and I can’t seem to get enough.

My family knows that I can’t get up in the morning without a cup of coffee – not for the caffeine – but the hot cup in my hand and the aroma filling my nostrils. We have a coffee maker with a timer and a thermos – coffee set at night and ready to go first thing in the morning. If my kids wanted a ride to school – they needed to bring me that first cup. Ride to a soccer game – cup of coffee, SAT exam – cup of coffee. Breakfast – cup of coffee.

With that being said, I will be the first to admit that I have a track record of being an irresponsible coffee drinker. While I love the feeling of having a hot cup of coffee in my hand and I appreciate a good coffee, I will happily finish a cup that’s gone cold and have been known to buy coffee at a gas station during a road trip. For better or for worse I always have a cup of coffee.

When we first decided to serve coffee at Via Umbria, my one requirement was that we do it right. We decided to use Illy coffee beans and serve traditional Italian drinks in proper portions – no more cold coffee for me. We pride ourselves on making excellent coffee in our Cafe. We are not in the business of making pumpkin coffees or even hazelnut coffees and we don’t want to be – there are plenty of places to grab a coffee shake. Via Umbria makes drip coffee and all of our other coffee drinks are ground and brewed to order – espresso, lattes, cappuccinos and Americanos – and we do diligent training with our barista’s and under Guido’s watchful eye because when it comes to bringing you an authentic Italian experience there is no room for error.

I love having my own coffee shop. Every morning I walk in and a fresh cup of coffee is handed to me. Gone are the days where I will happily drink cold, stale, or gas station coffee; I drink fresh coffee all day long. And now you can too! Join Via Umbria’s coffee club – For every 10 cups purchased, get one free. Or, buy one of our reusable coffee cups and get 10% off each refill when you come back.