Is There a Doctor in the (coffee) house?

It began when our Hilltop East neighbors became overnight customers and fast friends. That bond slowly transitioned into a business partnership, Wayne and I never saw coming.

We could tell doctors Elleni and Kapil Kapoor were uniquely drawn to our mission at RR. Aside from a decade of eye twinkling customer glee, Kapil, an ophthalmologist, holds weekly business meetings at Roast. He Zooms all over the world from his favorite counter perch facing the outdoor patio. Elleni shuttles in for coffee break bursts between patients at her Hilltop East children’s dental clinic, and meets friends for longer hangs every chance she gets.

One night at dinner, they even hinted at his itch to invest in a local venture.

What we didn’t know is why coffee shops tugged at their heartstrings. They held back their back story until now.

Elleni and Kapil had their first few dates back in college at an Ohio State campus coffee shop and for that reason, coffee shops hold special personal meaning. Watching us build Roast Rider into a ‘third place’ community hub ignited their hope for a specialty coffee partnership venture. 

Hilltop, the source of Roast Rider’s founder story is where it all started in 2013.

When you visit our new location in Redmill, the infusion of combined influences comes to life in many sizes and shapes. There’s the widely anticipated outdoor Enchanted Annex, the “Who Am I” riddle door, a wink at the riddle app Kapil and I developed together, and the popular Game Parlor, inspired by the Kapoor’s romantic and family-fueled coffee shop jaunts around the world.