Coffee shop halts plans to locate in downtown hotel

YOUNGSTOWN

Branch Street Coffee Roasters owner Matt Campbell still dreams of opening a location in downtown Youngstown, but – at least for right now – that location will not be in the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel.

Plans had been in the works for some time to open a Branch Street location in the hotel, which opened in May, but Campbell said those plans have stalled.

“I won’t rule out figuring out something in the future, but at this point with the plans we had set forward, I think we’re going to be removing ourselves,” he said.

Instead, the coffee company – which has a shop at 1393 Boardman-Canfield Road – will focus on growing its wholesale business and will look at other expansion opportunities as they come up, Campbell said.

As for why the plans to open in the hotel didn’t work out, Campbell cited a lack of progress on the development of the space. The hotel, located in the renovated Stambaugh Building on Central Square, was developed by Youngstown-based NYO Property Group and the Pan Brothers Associates of New York. NYO did not respond to a request for comment.

Read more about the matter in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.