Every traveler has their rituals and vices. Mine is to start the day with a good Espresso or Macchiato.
While finding the nearest Starbucks is a piece of cake, a good Specialty Coffee House can be hard to find, especially if you are on the road and not familiar with the city you are in. I spend countless hours searching for these places and once I find them I lock them firmly into my memory bank.
When I am in (or passing through) Dayton, OH, I always find a way to stop off at Press Coffee Bar.

Press is a specialty coffee bar located on the edge of The Oregon District in Dayton, Ohio

The people at Press Coffee Bar are coffee purists, as you can tell from the menu.
You will not find a Caramel Macchiato, Gingerbread Latte, or Frappuccino anywhere on this menu (I can only imagine the look you would get if you tried to order one…). Just great coffee in its purest form.



The Atmosphere at Press Coffee Bar:
The space is fairly small (long and narrow), but appropriately sized for the area and amount of traffic. There is a bicycle theme, with vintage bicycles on display to pay tribute to Dayton's famous former residents, Wilbur and Orville Wright (and The Wright Cycle Company).
The Barista at Press Coffee Bar:
The baristas here are extremely skilled at coffee preparation and happy to answer any questions you may have.
Quite often your Barista will also be one of the proprietors, Brett and Janell Barker, who are normally behind the bar. Brett was the Barista for each of the great espresso drinks I ordered.
And they do pass my test that every good Barista has either Tattoos or Piercings. (I have yet to find a great Barista without one of these, so I like to use that as my quick gut check when I walk into a cafe. Lately, beards have been becoming a trait of many great Baristas – I may have to add this to the list when combined with a tattoo…)
The Beans at Press Coffee Bar:
Press has historically used beans from great roasters like Dogwood, Intelligentsia, and Counter Culture, but they have recently started the process of roasting their own coffee under the name Wood Burl Coffee Roasters.
Press Coffee Bar
257 Wayne Avenue
Dayton, OH 45402
(937) 286-4585
Hours of Operation:
Monday / Thursday 7AM-7PM
Friday 7AM-8PM
Saturday 8AM-8PM
Sunday 9AM-5PM
Check out this great Video to learn more about Press Coffee Bar
Locale-Press from Showdown Visual on Vimeo.