Independent coffee shop celebrates grand opening in Gateway Feb. 25

February 25, 2019 | Events, News, UToday, Advancement, Alumni
By Christine Billau



An independent coffee shop is celebrating its move to Gateway Plaza at The University of Toledo with a grand opening event Monday, Feb. 25.

Brew, which is open to the public at the retail center on the corner of UT Main Campus on Secor Road at Dorr Street, is offering $1 Americanos and free drip coffee or tea with the purchase of a pastry from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Brew, an independent coffee bar, is serving customers at its new location in the Gateway Plaza. The shop offers coffee, tea, pastries and ice cream.

The coffee bar is located between Barnes & Noble University Bookstore and Huntington Bank. It moved to Gateway from its original location near campus on the south side of Dorr Street.

“We love coffee, and we opened our business in 2016 because we felt there was a need for coffee shops around The University of Toledo area,” Jennifer Erd, owner of Brew, said. “Approximately 70 percent of our customers are students, so being closer to student housing, faculty and classrooms makes sense. Plus, Gateway gives us double the space.”

Brew serves coffee from Zingerman’s Coffee in Ann Arbor, along with local, made-from-scratch pastries and desserts from All Crumbs Artesian Bakery, 7 Little Cupcakes, Libby’s 17 Second Cookies, and So Sweet Lebanese and French Pastries.

Since the move, Brew added ice cream.

“We’re selling pints by Hartzler Creamery out of Wooster, the same place we get our milk. It’s delicious,” Erd said. “With the ice cream, we’ve added affogatos to our menu — a scoop of vanilla ice cream drowned with a double shot of espresso. Coke floats are coming soon.

“Along with being an awesome local coffee shop, we want people to think of us as a nice, after-dinner option, too,” she said. “We will continue to promote local artists by displaying and selling their work and offering open-mic sessions every month.”

“Brew is a great addition to Gateway,” Brenda Lee, president of the UT Foundation, said. “We are excited they have joined our vibrant campus.”

Brew is located on the south end of the Gateway, which also includes Rice Blvd., Verizon Wireless Zone, Great Clips, Jimmy John’s, Bubble Tea and Domino’s Pizza.

Brew is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Brew is an Alumni Association membership benefit partner. UT Alumni Association members can save 10 percent at Brew when they show their membership cards.