Troost Coffee & Tea

There's a new coffee house in town and I'm really excited about it. Not because I'm a coffee addict (I don't drink coffee at all), but because I love the coffee house atmosphere and our community has needed one for a long time. And the owners of this new coffee and tea house are bringing a welcome and much-needed passion and youthful energy to the downtown with their trendy little spot. They've also created this cute little hashtag that has been popping up everywhere since their opening - #LansingsOnTheUp. 



Two coffee shops that once existed in downtown Lansing that I used to frequent have been gone for years - maybe a decade or longer. One was Muse Cafe, a cute little cozy shop which attracted a young crowd especially for their open mic nights and the other was Kathy's Coffee Shop, a traditional old greasy spoon diner with a counter and stools where they knew the regulars and served up big plates of eggs and bacon and hash browns with mugs of steamy coffee. There's really been a void since those places closed their doors. Every community needs a coffee shop where people can gather and linger and study and chat and meet friends and make new ones. It about way more than drinking a cup of coffee (or in my case tea or hot chocolate.) For the past few years, I had to head out to Crown Point or Highland to visit SIP or to Griffith to Grindhouse or Librarium Cafe in Hobart or one of the area Starbucks locations for that coffee house kind of environment.



So, this cute little spot called Troost (It's a Dutch word meaning "comfort" that actually rhymes with roast) opened last month and as I was driving by one day with my son we decided to stop and check it out. I met the friendly owners, Renae and Katie, and tried out an iced tea and a cake pop. My son had a vanilla frappe. I don't speak coffee, but apparently this drink doesn't contain coffee - I guess it's a cold, icy, foamy drink topped with whipped cream. He must have enjoyed it because he's been back several times and each time I ask what he had, he tells me the same thing. They don't have a menu of savory foods, but you'll find baked items available each day - muffins, cinnamon rolls, stroopwafels, brownies and other goodies.



The decor is really cute and modern with a rustic shabby-chic kind of feel. There's a kids' room with toys and a chalk wall along with a cozy chair so mom can chill with her beverage while the kids occupy themselves. There's also a meeting room with a whiteboard wall that can be reserved for meetings.



The space that Troost now occupies used be a hair salon. I'd been going there for years, so it was interesting to see a coffee counter where I once got my hair trimmed and the kids' room where I once got facials and massages. They did a wonderful job of converting the space and you'd never guess it was a hair studio before. It looks so natural, like the coffee shop has always been there.

A big welcome to Renae and Katie and a big thank you for bringing a new place of comfort to our community. For more info, visit troostcoffeeandtea.com and follow on Facebook and Instagram.