Credit: @slocal_coffee on Instagram
Entering Slow Train, the cozy array of various-sized wooden tables, comfy chairs, and wall art are illuminated by light from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Baristas brew coffee and toast bagels while the customers chat, work on laptops, or simply enjoy the space. The Slow Train Cafe, established in 2010 by Oberlin College graduate Jessa New and other Oberlin grads, is a downtown Oberlin favorite with its pleasant, vibrant atmosphere and a wide array of drinks, bagels, and pastries. Around three years after opening, Slow Train became so busy that they opened the then-newly renovated coffee shop, The Local. Although its aesthetic is similar and the staff is shared, subtle differences exist between the ambiance and the menu items. For example, Slow Train has natural light that shines throughout the whole space, while The Local is mainly underground and has more of a warm, secluded feeling. Only Slow Train offers cheddar chive cream cheese, while you can find the brie walnut cream cheese solely at The Local. Both establishments are popular with Oberlin College students, professors, and townspeople who enjoy sharing a drink with friends or working on their laptops.
During Professor Mattson’s class, Serving the Public, our class had the opportunity to interview Jessa New, the co-owner of Slow Train and The Local. She was also recently elected to the city council last Fall of ‘23. After graduating from Oberlin in 2001, she received a graduate degree to teach 3rd grade. However, she realized that she did not want to pursue teaching for the rest of her life.
New had never worked in a coffee shop before opening Slow Train, nor was even a coffee drinker. When discussing her entry into the world of coffee, she remarked,
“When we first started, I had a business partner. He was from Seattle and he was very much a coffee nerd. So I did the HR stuff and the not-so-exciting and glamorous part of it. And then he bailed on me.
And at that point I had definitely learned a lot. I had been on the job for three years, I had been trained. And then I had this moment where I decided that if I was going to do this long term, that I wanted to be able to know [how to run a business].
I didn’t start drinking coffee until I had my second kid and then it’s basically a necessity, so I could be awake the rest of the day. I didn’t even drink good coffee. I didn’t even know the difference. But you start to have an appreciation for every part of the process, to understand all the different pieces and parts that go into you drinking a cup of coffee. To do that well, and to do that right, you have to have an appreciation going all the way to the farmers and what they do. You start to understand that it’s really your responsibility to take all this hard work and effort that has gone into you receiving these beans and to do the best you can to make sure that the people you’re serving it to get to taste all of the love that went into it. Just understanding and having an appreciation for all the different parts of the process, that took a while. It took years, and now I know probably more than anyone would want to know about it. But again, I love it, I love all parts of it, and I do actually love coffee too.”
New discussed how she chooses what menu items to include, stating,
“I won’t serve anything that I wouldn’t eat. I am a foodie. I absolutely adore food. When we got our liquor license, you have to have food on a menu if you’re going to serve liquor.
So I would go out to the Cleveland area coffee shops and restaurants, and find stuff that I liked, and then I would figure out who made it and I would ask them if they would drive it out to Oberlin. I got a lot of no’s, but eventually I got enough yes’s that I was able to build a menu. It’s finding, “Can I make the relationship work?” “Is it mutually beneficial?” Which it’s not always going to be. “Can I price it so that it works?”
Pricing stuff in Oberlin is one of the weirdest things ever, because the cost of living in Oberlin is fairly low, but a lot of students are coming from California, New York, where the cost of living is much, much higher, and so people always tell me, “oh, you charge students to pay whatever you want.” [If] I do that, I’m pricing out the rest of the town and I’m assuming everyone’s socio-economic status.
I try my best to find the food that is made by people who appreciate what they do, who love what they do. A lot of times, it’s the people behind it that probably are the most important part of it, to be honest.”
Throughout Jessa New’s conversation with the class, her love for the community and her passion for uniting people through her cafes shone through everything she shared. It is clear that she loves running the coffee shops. She enjoys seeing people connect with each other and taking part in the community she has fostered at Slow Train and The Local. Her relationships with business partners and food suppliers are based on trust, appreciation, and understanding. With how dedicated and caring New is in every aspect of running her business, it is easy to understand why so many Oberlin students and townspeople gravitate toward Slow Train for coffee, pastries, and a warm and welcoming environment.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Katelyn Liu OC’26 is a second year Sociology and Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies major with an interest in how food influences and is influenced by taste, culture, and community. They love to try new cafes and restaurants with friends!
