COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A Japanese-inspired cafe has opened in the Bethel Center Mall in northwest Columbus, serving matcha, coffee, tea and desserts during its soft opening.
Sora Cafe now occupies the former Cha Sha & Coffee space, located at 1462 Bethel Road, between Hokkaido Revolving Sushi Bar and Fiery Sky Asian Kitchen.
Owners David Mei and his wife, Sarah Cai, plan to operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday for roughly the next month, then open seven days a week after a grand opening that has not been scheduled. Mei said they created Sora to share Japanese food, drinks and culture with the Columbus community. See the latest NBC4 headlines in the video player above.
Mei said delays pushed the opening from late August into this month, but the cafe drew good traffic during its first few days. Seating remains limited while furniture arrives. Cai spent a month in Tokyo learning “dirty” coffee recipes. The couple plans to make the drink a centerpiece of Sora’s menu…