Acclaimed Espresso Bar changes hands, becomes Literati Coffee

Two years after the Espresso Bar moved from Kerrytown's Braun Court to Literati Bookstore in  downtown Ann Arbor, the much-lauded coffee shop is taking on a new name and ownership.Jess Harmon will manage the renamed Literati Coffee under the supervision of Literati owners Mike and Hilary Gustafson, who now own the coffee shop. Sanford Bledsoe, who originally founded the Espresso Bar on the main floor of the Bar at 327 Braun Court, is no longer involved in the shop. Bledsoe could not be reached for comment.On the surface, much will remain unchanged at the shop. Neither Harmon nor the Gustafsons seem eager to alter the shop's winning formula, which earned it a spot on "Cosmopolitan"'s list of America's best coffee shops earlier this year.But watchful regulars may indeed notice improvements that the trio hopes will help integrate the once-separate spaces into a cohesive whole. Harmon says that having the same owner preside over both the coffee shop and the bookstore "opens up a world of possibilities.""Everything just seems to be running a bit smoother now that we have the ability to pay attention where we should overlap," Harmon says. Harmon notes that the shop's long-standing barista is now working with the bookstore itself in a building manager capacity, making it easier to smooth out labor issues and assist with the store's events team. For now, the focus will be on making the shop's event space more inviting and establishing a more consistent means of quality control behind the scenes. In the months ahead, customers can anticipate more coffee-focused events like a latte throwdown – where baristas compete to create the best latte foam art – coming this January. Harmon will use coffee roasted by Stove Top Coffee owner and area newcomer Steve Holm for that event, aiming to foster a sense of community among the region's roasters, baristas, and coffee lovers.