Customer Spotlight: Ghostlight Coffee

Since opening their doors in 2011, founder Shane Anderson & the Ghostlight Coffee team have been a Dayton institution. They continue to act as a corner-stone in the Dayton coffee community as a result of their dedication to quality, community, and sustainability. Not only are Ghostlight serving up high quality and unique coffee beverages, but they offer a full menu of pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and bagels all made in-house. Of course, we could go on and on about one of our favorite coffee shops, but why not let Shane give you a little more information himself. Huge thank you to Shane for taking the time to share some of the Ghostlight story with us!

• Tell us your coffee “origin story.” How did you get started in coffee?

  • I started dreaming about opening a coffeehouse in the late 90’s/early 2000’s.  Over the course of many years the concept of that cafe evolved.  I had spoken with a variety of roasters and “consultants.”  When I met Les & Ryan of Deeper Roots, I knew right away that these were passionate coffee people who could help me learn more about the coffee and the business - without having to buy into a packaged “proven concept” that was more about mimicking the national chains than defining our own identity.
    

• What inspired you to start your own business? 

  • My grandfather and father were both entrepreneurs.  As a kid I always wanted to be a “businessman” like them.  My career choice took me into education, but I always felt that when I felt like it was time to make a change I would start my own business.
    

• Where are you located and why did you choose that location or locations? 

  • Our first location is in the Historic South Park neighborhood in Dayton.  I was living in the neighborhood when the owners of the property approached me about leasing the space.  We opened in November 2011 as a coffeehouse with baked goods.  A year ago (November 2019) we opened our second location only 1 mile away.  The second location is located on another primary route into downtown Dayton, in the shadow of Miami Valley Hospital.  We were able to add a kitchen, expanding into a breakfast & lunch menu.
    

• What are your most popular menu offerings?

  • In the autumn our most popular beverage is the Lumberjack Latte (Maple Syrup, Cinnamon & Smoked Sea Salt). We also have a menu of Local Honey & Spice Blend Lattes that I am particularly proud of. Our bakery is well known for our Thanksgiving Pies, beer boiled bagels and handmade “GhostTart” pastries.
    

• Tell us about your most cherished coffee-related memory.

  • In February of 2019, I joined Les and several other coffee shop owners on a trip to Guatemala.  We got to spend time with many of the farmers that we often feature, such as Finca San Jeronimo and La Armonia Hermosa.  We have served La Armonia since the day we opened in 2011.  It was particularly humbling to hear Julio Cuy tell stories about the early years of La Armonia, years that we were serving the coffee.  He spoke of carrying that coffee in and out of his cousin’s house daily using the small yard as a drying patio. To hear him speak of the incredibly hard work that he put into that coffee so that my baristas could brew it for our guests was an emotional moment for me, a reminder of how much human effort is in each cup that we serve.
    

• Describe your perfect day off.

  • Currently, a perfect day off starts with brewing a chemex in my basement coffee bar while discussing superheroes and villains with my son before helping him with his online school work.  Follow that up with a walk through the neighborhood with my wife, son and two pups.  Then probably another Chemex.
    

• If you could drink coffee with anyone, living or not, who would it be and why?

  • My father and grandfather, discussing coffee, business, family and life.
    

• What are your 3 essential coffee shop albums?

  • Miles Davis - Kind of Blue

  • Galactic - Coolin’Off

  • Johnny Cash - (Any) … this was always a barista favorite because we had a particular non-customer guest (rarely made purchases) who would out-stay her welcome almost daily.  As we would get busy and need her to vacate her seat, play a little Johnny Cash and she would be pretty quick to leave (she obviously didn’t like his music).
    

• Which coffee equipment could you not live without?

  • A Chemex and a Fellow kettle.
    

• Currently, what is your favorite coffee?

  • I drank the heck out of La Palma this year.
    

•  Natural or washed processed coffee?

  • At the moment, washed.

•  Colombian or Ethiopian coffee?

  • At the moment, Colombia.  

• Iced coffee or hot coffee?

  • Either Hot or Iced Pour Over.  Mostly hot these days.

• Espresso or filter coffee?

  • Filter.

• French Press or Chemex?

  • Chemex.

• Pumpkin Spice Latte?

  • Nope, but I don’t judge.

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