New coffee lounge comes to Ypsilanti with Hawaii ‘vibes’

YPSILANTI, MI — The newest coffee shop in Ypsilanti is bringing Hawaii “vibes” to the city.

Upbeat music, leather seats and big television screens fill Ohana Lounge, 11 E. Cross St., according to Darius Smith, founder of the coffee shop. Tiki umbrellas and a small food trailer sit outside the coffee lounge.

Ohana Lounge officially opened Oct. 25 after a soft opening in July, Smith said.

Smith, 47, said the space was most recently unused, though a high-end glass bong shop occupied it over a year ago.

He also said residents typically see this type of coffee shop in larger cities, but he wanted to bring something “that doesn’t exist” to Ypsilanti.

Smith, of Saline, got inspiration for a Hawaii-themed coffee shop after he and his wife visited the state more than two years ago.

“You want to be comfortable, and I think that we captured that,” Smith said.

He said his business has been well-received by the community. He also said Ohana Lounge is the next step in his goal “to have operations inside of buildings or real estate that I could purchase” and he would like to see similar coffee shops in the future.

His latest efforts have been marketing the coffee shop, including its use of Zingerman’s coffee products. He said Ohana Lounge is the first shop in the Ypsilanti area to sell Zingerman’s coffee.

“I’m a huge fan of how much they care about their product, where things come from and to bring that aspect over is really awesome,” Smith said.

Smith said he began conversations with the Zingerman’s staff in June, a month before the soft opening.

Ohana Lounge also offers pastries from Dom Bakeries, 1305 Washtenaw Ave.

Popular menu items include the salmon lox bagel, Cobb salad and Caesar salad.

The shop also sells soups, smoothies and ice cream floats.

His plans for the next few months include promoting Ohana Lounge, preparing the space for event rentals and upgrading the menu.

Outside of his coffee shop, Smith is the founder of the Food Folks Fun Podcast Network. He produces several podcasts, including one with University of Michigan Regent Denise Ilitch.

Ohana Lounge is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.

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