By Jenna Oden

Hot, iced or made with an extra shot of espresso – however  someone wants their coffee, Troy residents can now get that daily caffeine fix at a new coffee shop in the downtown Square. 

“We noticed a need for a coffee shop on the Square,” said Ground Floor Coffee co-owner Angela Farmer. “And when we started selling coffee in our other business downtown, Smoke and Ash, people were eating it up.”

Co-owner Nathaniel Cox and Farmer started experimenting with coffee combinations and different beans at Smoke and Ash to get a local input on what they should sell.

“Angela has always wanted to own a coffee shop,” Cox said. “We hunted for a while and then came across this building and here we are now.”

Farmer’s favorite mythical creature has always been a phoenix, so when it came time to make the logo, a phoenix had to be incorporated.

“The idea of the phoenix coming out of the coffee cup came from the fact that when you drink coffee, you feel like a phoenix coming out of the ashes,” Farmer said. “We love the idea of mythical creatures and the names of all of our drinks correlate with that, too.”

Farmer said that they want the coffee shop to be a safe-zone and for everyone to feel welcome and comfortable.

“There will be zero tolerance for in-tolerance here,” Farmer said.

Locals, visitors and students can find a multitude of coffee combinations on the menu and study rooms and events are planned as well.

“Every Monday we are going to do a new reveal on our menu,” Cox said. “We have so many ideas for events to come. We want to involve the community and give people the opportunity to show off their talents. We want to do poetry slams and have local musicians come or even game nights.”

The shop offers 17 menu items of coffee, tea and specialty drinks. Your beans of choice are all roasted nearby in Auburn and there are currently 15 different types. Cox and Farmer want to soon add sandwiches, pastries and merchandise.

“We have been open for a little over a week and are still trying to figure out good hours that work,” Cox said. “We have had a lot of good reviews and exposure online. Even more exciting is all the new faces that have walked into the shop to get coffee.”

Ground Floor Coffee is hiring currently and the applications can be found at the store or on the Facebook page.