Kape Coffee brings a new blend of Asian flavors to German Village

Blending traditional coffee with Asian flavors, Kape Coffee introduces customers to a menu that features classic drinks with unique twists.?

Located inside Mizu No Kaori, located at 495 S. 4th St. in German Village, Kape Coffee serves Asian-inspired drinks and snacks to the Columbus community from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Co-owner Sean Dupiano said the inspiration for the cafe came from the lack of Asian-inspired coffee drinks and cafes in the Columbus area.

“The biggest inspiration was trying to bring things that weren’t in the U.S. here in Columbus, Asian-inspired drinks and stuff like that, and just bring some of that culture,” Dupiano said.

Unlike traditional cafes, Kape Coffee doesn’t have one set location. Instead, Dupiano said they do long-term pop-ups at different places in Columbus. Currently, Kape Coffee is located inside Mizu No Kaori, an authentic Japanese ramen restaurant on South Fourth Street. Dupiano said they regularly update their Instagram with locations and times for customers.?

To keep their menu as authentic as possible, co-owner Casey Kim said they source their coffee beans internationally, something many coffee shops do not do.

“We are a multi-roaster, which means that we will bring beans from all over the country, but also from different countries. We have a lot of partnerships in South Korea and others in Japan and in countries in Europe, to which no other coffee shop is able to have access to,” Kim said. “Because we understand the culture, we try to make sure it’s authentic, but it’s also catered towards people here in Columbus.”

Kim said growing up, her family had “coffee time,” where they gathered every day and drank coffee together. She said that valuable time with her family inspired her decision to open a coffee shop.??

“When we decided to do a coffee shop, I really wanted to be a part of a project where I feel like my family’s coffee time was being brought to Columbus,” Kim said.

Kape Coffee’s menu pulls inspiration from different flavors and desserts across Asia. Their most well-known drink, the ube dalgona latte, blends ube, a purple yam native to the Philippines, with dalgona, a toffee-like treat from South Korea. Manager Isabelle Sansait said the unique drinks are what excite customers the most.??

“First-time customers are really excited and curious,” Sansait said. “Ube is more popular now, but flavors from our culture, like pandan buko, a lot of people don’t know about.”?

Besides the ube dalgona latte, Kape Coffee offers a buko pandan latte, which blends the Filipino dessert with espresso, and they have an extensive matcha bar. Kim said she has noticed more members of the community are open to trying their new flavors.

“We’ve been seeing a shift in cultural awareness and also an open mind to want to explore and experience something different,” Kim said.

While Kape Coffee plans to stay at Mizu No Kaori for the near future, Dupiano said they hope to eventually open their own permanent store.?

“Right now, we’re only open Thursday through Saturday. Hopefully, we’ll be a normal coffee shop open Monday through Saturday and then getting our own shop. That’s one of our biggest goals,” Dupiano said.