Coffee shop opens in Ann Arbor restaurant, co-working, and event space

Ann Arbor's Venue by 4M restaurant, co-working spot, and event space has announced the opening of Venue Coffee at 1919 S. Industrial Highway. Located within Venue's larger restaurant/bar, the new coffee shop is designed as a place where patrons can not only get a top-notch brew and chef-prepared grab-and-go meals, but also co-work and socialize.

"Venue Coffee itself is warm and cozy. It's kind of quirky and fun-looking. There are rugs that are pretty and cozy upholstered furniture, funky chairs at a community table, and a corner with shelves full of books and trinkets," says Margaret Poscher, CEO of 4M Consolidated Brands. "It's just kind of a cozy little place to sit and have coffee with friends, or maybe conduct a little business meeting." 

Venue Coffee is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Saturday. Customers seeking a jolt of java can expect coffee crafted by Mighty Good, with beans roasted right in Ann Arbor. The menu features fresh pastries from Zingerman's and bright breakfast offerings overseen by chef Thad Gillies. 

Gillies has a noteworthy resume – he was the mastermind behind Logan Restaurant, a local Ann Arbor culinary hotspot for nearly two decades. At Venue, he creates what Poscher calls "elevated casual cuisine." She notes that Venue Coffee visitors can order off the full restaurant menu if they're seated in that area. The coffee shop, in fact, can be accessed either by a separate entrance or through the restaurant.

"One regular actually prefers to sit in Coffee rather than go into the large restaurant and bar space where we have a beautiful, big, open co-working space with five large library tables," she says. "We have tremendous high-speed Wi-Fi and you can get a good connection at those tables. But a lot of people just prefer to be in Coffee, because it's just a sweet little room."

Poscher adds that a lot of customers have commented positively on how versatile the entire location has become.

"There's something for everyone. There's a space for everyone," she says. "You can do whatever you want. You can work, you can socialize, you can party." 

Whatever the purpose, Poscher is warmly inviting patrons to experience Venue for themselves. She points to Google searches marking the new shop as one the best places to go for coffee in the area. 

"Our baristas are really creative and truly love what they do," Poscher says. "We'll be changing our drink menu every season – and you never know what Chef might create."

Jaishree Drepaul is a writer and editor based in Ann Arbor. She can be reached at jaishreeedit@gmail.com.

Photo courtesy of Julie Page of Collab Create and Jen Prouty of 32 Branding Co.