Port Huron-based food truck Coffi will celebrate its first anniversary later this summer and has found success with its unique menu including locally-sourced ingredients alongside some culturally-inspired dishes.
Tasha Kramarenko, co-owner and founder of
Coffi, had always dreamed about opening the business. Having experience managing specialty cafés, it wasn’t until Kramarenko began working at the
Raven Café that she met her other half and co-owner and founder of Coffi, Todd Bailey, who had the kitchen and management skills to help make their dream a reality.
Launched in July 2021, Kramarenko and Bailey have been serving hungry guests at Coffi behind
St. Clair County Community College, during the spring, summer, and fall.
Coffi’s menu includes a wide variety of coffee beverages from lattes and cappuccinos, to hot cocoa, tea, and fresh-squeezed lemonade. Kramarenko’s recommended drink to start her day is Black Hole, coffee with an extra shot of espresso. During the summer, Bailey said iced tea is his favorite drink.
Coffi also offers a breakfast menu including bagels, banana boats, and blintzes. A Russian pancake that has been in Kramarenko’s family for generations, customers can have their blintzes sweet with the addition of yogurt, berries, and berry puree or savory topped with Canadian bacon, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onion.
Kramarenko and Bailey are passionate about using locally-sourced products. Their coffee is freshly-roasted coffee by the
Exquisite Corpse Coffee House in Port Huron, loose-leaf teas from
Earth’s Natural Herbals in Port Huron, and homemade honey syrups provided by
Arnold Apiaries in Deckerville.
“I didn’t want to buy Monin or DaVinci – all the name brand flavors that every coffee shop has,” Kramarenko says. “I think if we have a unique enough set, where you can’t get blintzes or homemade honey syrups at Tim Hortons or Starbucks, then it’s not being, ‘me too.’”
Kramarenko and Bailey wouldn’t be where they are today if it wasn’t for the support from their management at the Raven Café. Currently, they work at the Raven Café one to two days a week and the remainder at Coffi except during the winter when the food truck isn’t operating.
“They were very accepting and happy for us,” Kramarenko says. “For them to let us have a foot in the door at their establishment while we’re trying ours, that’s really what you need at the beginning with a small business – somebody who’s there to catch you.”
To see the full menu or learn about catering opportunities, visit
coffi.cafe and stay up to date on the latest offerings at
facebook.com/Cofficafe.
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