For co-owner Bryan Brzozowski and cafe lead Zach Richardson of Royal Flamingo Coffee House, each cup of coffee served must be perfect.?

They said the espresso machine is dialed in precisely to get a single stream of creamy espresso poured every time.

“It’s more important that our team’s happy with [the espresso] and that they feel good about what they’re serving,” Richardson said.?

Located at 945 King Ave., the cafe is housed inside the I Like It Like That Bar — an extension of Natalie’s Grandview, a music hall and kitchen. The cafe operates Wednesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., while the bar takes over at 5 p.m. every day except Sunday, when it’s closed.

Despite sharing the space, the decor contains elements from each of the businesses, and there’s no lack of flamingoes.??

Next to the bar is a painting of a flamingo with a crown on it, a piece Brzozowski said he bought at the now-closed Happy Go Lucky Boutique in Short North. He said he asked local artist Adam Hernandez to re-create the painting for the cafe’s logo. He said the flamingoes serve as an homage to his hometown, Parma, Ohio, where the plastic lawn flamingo is the city’s official mascot.

“It kind of sets the tone,” Brzozowski said. “Our mantra is serious coffee for unserious people.”

In October 2025, the cafe was voted the second best independent coffee shop in the country in USA Today’s 10Best. Customers nominated and voted for the cafe everyday, which Brzozowski said was an exciting moment for the team.?

“The amount of support that we’ve seen from our community here … I’m getting goosebumps even thinking about it,” Brzozowski said. “Our team has been crushing it.”

Richardson said following the announcement, the cafe’s sales significantly increased.?

“Getting the award and getting the recognition for it, I think it’s just brought this motivated, uplifted vibe to our whole team,” Richardson said. “We have a lot more opportunity to serve people and show them what we’re really excited about, so I think everyone is just in high spirits.”

Brzozowski said he and his wife Beth Stallings, co-owner of the cafe, originally started as specialty coffee roasters in 2021. Over time, they developed and researched different roasts, including daily greats — their more approachable and well-balanced roasts — and the super fun, which include rare notes and interesting processing techniques. The couple also source some of their coffees internationally, traveling to countries such as Guatemala and Colombia, Brzozowski said.?

“We’ve been fortunate enough to taste coffee from all around the world,” Brzozowski said. “We just try and have a rolodex of really different flavor profiles that hopefully capture something for everybody.”?

Brzozowski said his wife is the artist behind the drink recipes and seasonal menus at the cafe. They are currently running the “Out of Office” menu, which represents Brzozowski retiring after 20 years in corporate America. He said the flavors, such as Mole No. 5 and Shake Ya Bombón, represent places they have and want to travel to.

“My wife, she is the flavor genius,” Brzozowski said. “She spends tons of time doing [research and development].”

Brzozowski said he acknowledges their menu can be a bit intimidating, however he urges his customers to ask questions and for his team to explain and assist in the process.?

“We have to try and kill any sort of pretentiousness in here,” Brzozowski said. “What we want to do is make it as approachable as possible and ask as many questions as possible, so we hook you up with the right drink, and hopefully it’s one of the best drinks you [have] had ever.”

Richardson said the team is precise in the way they serve things — from their cafe operations, such tasting and dialing in their espresso machine regularly, to having a conversation with every customer.?

“We really want people to walk away with the best version of what we want to serve,” Richardson said. “We’re pretty perfectionist when it comes to how we operate day in and day out, and I think that goes throughout our whole team.”

Richardson, an Ohio State alum who studied biology, said he met Brzozowski at the annual Columbus Coffee Festival through a friend’s recommendation. He said he was immediately drawn in after he was introduced to coffees he had never tried before.?

Though he was previously on the pre-med track, Richardson said spending time at the roastery during his undergraduate years ultimately inspired him to pivot toward a career in food and service.

“I love everything that [Brzozowski] was doing, and I want[ed] to find a way to be a part of it,” Richardson said. “Things worked out in a way that I’m really grateful for.”

Richardson said generosity is a core pillar the team embodies. He said the team tries to hand out as many samples as they can, similar to the way Brzozowski treated him when they first began working together.?

“We started this cafe as a way to share things we’re excited about and get people to be excited about the things that we love,” Richardson said. “We lead with a lot of generosity in the way that we serve people.”

The cafe serves pastries from the locally-owned Three Bites Bakery, Richardson said.

“[Three Bites Bakery] was a partner that [Brzozowski] was really excited to have,” Richardson said. “It was cool to bring in a unique and independent bakery that we have personal connections with and present them.”

On Monday, the cafe and bakery will collaborate for an event titled “ICE Out,” Brzozowski said. 100% of proceeds will go to Corazón Deshilado, a mutual aid organization, CRIS, Community Refugee & Immigration Services and Our Helpers, a local service organization for refugees, according to the event flyer.?

“We do not stand for ICE here in our community,” Brzozowski said. “We just want to make sure that we’re here for our community.”

Richardson said the importance of service is shared across their team.?

“We love giving back to our community,” Richardson said. “I think it’s something that rallies our team to keep serving people and be more focused on the impact that we’re having day in and day out.”?

Richardson said supporting local businesses is something he’s passionate about.?

“Independent spaces are where you get a lot of new, fresh creativity,” Richardson said. “There’s something special about knowing the person behind the bar.”

Brzozowski said he plans to host more events in the space and a second location might be in the future, but for now they are trying to get their coffee roasts served at more local businesses.?

“The support of the community has been overwhelming,” Brzozowski said. “I’d love to see our stuff around town a little bit more, so that’s something we’re going to focus on.”

More information about Royal Flamingo Coffee can be found on the cafe’s website.

This story was updated Feb. 13 at 2 p.m. to correct the spelling of “Brzozowski.”