ONTARIO — Wendall Yoder said he wants Ontario’s newest local coffee shop to “create a warm, inviting space where people can connect.”
4th Street Coffee House, located in the Willowood Plaza at 1996 W. 4th Street, celebrated its grand opening Thursday with a ribbon cutting.
Yoder bought North Main Cafe in Mount Vernon in 2021 after working there for about four years.
“I fell in love with the community that surrounds coffee,” he said. “When the opportunity to take this space came available, I thought it was a great step to move into the Ontario area and Richland County community.
“We’re grateful for all the support we’ve already seen and excited to see where this goes. Our goal is to be a blessing to the community here.”
The 4th Street Coffee House is located at 1996 W. 4th Street in the Willowood Plaza. The building also has a drive-thru window and parking lot on the building’s east side.
The 4th Street Coffee House is open from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The shop is also on Facebook and Instagram.
The 4th Street Coffee House sells signature coffee drinks, teas, hot chocolate, smoothies, pastries, açaí bowls and New York bagels.
“The bagels come to us directly from New York within two days and there’s no preservatives in them, so they’re super fresh and delicious,” Yoder said.
Yoder said his personal favorite drink is either the americano or cortado.
“I spent a lot of time creating our espresso blend, and I think those drinks in particular really highlight it, so those are probably my favorites,” he said.
General manager Lily Wolf said a popular order so far is the shop’s signature “Golden Monkey” latte — consisting of banana, dark chocolate and caramel syrups.
“The salted honey latte has also been pretty popular,” Wolf said.
4th Street Coffee House open Mondays–Saturdays
The 4th Street Coffee House sells its own coffee beans, roasted at North Main Cafe.
Elected officials also joined the coffee shop staff Thursday for the ribbon cutting ceremony.
“This is a great location, lots of traffic and plenty of parking off to the side,” said Richland County Commissioner Cliff Mears. “It’s new, clean and nice — it’s got prosperity written all over it.”
Ontario’s Service-Safety Director Adam Gongwer also thanked the owner and his team.
“The mayor and I have been here a couple times and have chatted with Wendall,” he said. “We’re excited, and thank you for choosing Ontario. We wish you the best success.”