Residents of Iowa City’s far northside have a new hangout. Press Coffee opened this week at 1120 N Dodge St, adjacent to Hy-Vee and St. Joseph’s Cemetery and within staggering distance of Hilltop Tavern.
Press Coffee, originally opened in Coralville by friends Chad Andrews, Ryan From, Sam Thibodeaux and Swen Larson in 2013, and was sold to Katie Ford and Lisa Edwards in 2020. Ford has worked at Press Coffee since it served its first cups of coffee, and when the impact of COVID-19 almost caused it to go out of business, she and Edwards bought Press.
They relocated the business to North Dodge Street in Iowa City, and opened the doors and drive-through window to the public this week.
Specializing in French-pressed coffee, hence the name, they also offer espresso, smoothies, teas, pastries and a few other items to get you through the day.
The building that is now home to Press Coffee had sat empty for several years, so interest was piqued in the neighborhood when work on the building started in 2020, including a freshly poured driveway and siding painted gothic gray. The final result offers abundant indoor seating, two patios (one in front, one in back), drive-up service and as a bike tune-up station.
“When it makes sense to gather again we want to re-introduce events like craft night, game night, and receptions for featured artists,” Ford and Edwards said on the shop’s site. “We also want to offer our space for parties, work meetings, or study groups. Bringing the community together is important to us, so feel free to send us your ideas or requests for the future.”
Press Coffee is open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. On Sunday, its hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
