FAQ
Where is the best place to park? in our Parking lot!
You may park in the One Highland Parking Lot accessed from N. Fort Thomas Ave. and walk through the galleria to our side door. Easy Peasy! We have on-street spaces on Highland Ave. and N. Fort Thomas Ave. You’ll also find plenty of public parking in our Cultural Arts District Public Parking Lot accessed from Miller Ln. This lot has a skinny stairway to N. Ft. Thomas Ave. and also an elevator inside the 18 North Building for those needing to avoid steps. The city has plans for adding a beautifully large well-lit walkway to take us directly from the Cultural Arts lot to Ms. Judy’s Crosswalk and it’s going to be great! Stay tuned for that helpful addition. Please avoid parking on small residential streets and other business parking lots to respect our neighbors.
Do you serve alcohol? Yes!
Yes! At 9am. This is still a common question as we are more commonly known as Fort Thomas Coffee. When moving across the street to a large location at One Highland in June of 2023, we expanded the coffee shop concept to include a cocktail bar, kitchen, and business connect center each identified with their own name, but one in the same. FTC can now refer to Fort Thomas Coffee, Fort Thomas Citadel (wine, beer, and cocktail bar), or Fort Thomas Connect (business center & room rentals). Enjoy a morning latte at Fort Thomas Coffee, host an afternoon business meeting in Fort Thomas Connect, and have a celebratory Old Fashioned Cocktail with a friend in the evening. Alcohol service begins at 9am with a fantastic menu of boozy coffee drinks and brunch cocktails.
What time do you start serving alcohol? 9am.
We serve from 9am - 9pm Monday-Thursday, 9am-10pm on Friday and Saturday, and 9am -4pm close on Sunday.
Can I bring alcohol to FTC? NO. It’s against the law.
No. Alcohol and Beverage Control requires that any alcohol on the premises be purchased through a registered distributor and recorded on file with FTC.
Can I order alcohol in a to-go cup? Soon.
No. However, this fall of 2023, we anticipate our DORA (Designated Outdoor Resource Area) designation will be activated with the addition of a 3rd restaurant on the block opening with a liquor license. Once activated, yes, you may order alcohol beverages in a DORA to-go cup for walking about on the block and enjoying our Central Business/ Cultural Arts District.
Do you have food? Yes!
We offer breakfast, lunch, and cocktail bar bites. Find our food menu under the coffee tab of our website here. Bar bites are listed at the bottom of our cocktail bar menu here. And you’ll need to pop in to see what our baker has made today for the bakery case.
Do you make your own Baked goods. We do! We also have bakery partners.
Our house-made donuts are prepared by us fresh each morning. We make our own cupcakes, brownies, banana mini loaf, and more. We also partner with local bakers from the incubator kitchen and surrounding areas to bring you additional favorites.
I have lots of allergies. Can I eat at FTC? Hopefully!
We carry the MadeGood product line because a little friend told us he could eat snacks at FTC if we did. MadeGood products are free from peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, gluten, soy, dairy, egg, sesame fish & shellfish. We also offer very delicious Paelo, Gluten Free and Vegan Friendly Cheesecake by Tickey Boo Treats. Our power ball bites are made with sunbutter rather than peanut butter. We use a marked blender for our Power Smoothies containing peanut butter and almond milk to keep our other blenders nut free. For breakfast we offer a crustless quiche and a chicken salad or egg salad plate for lunch would be gluten friendly options. When having allergies, it’s always important to notify the team to be extra attentive in preparing your order.
Can I order a few dozen donuts? Yes!
We make our donuts fresh each morning and on slower mornings a few dozen donuts are all we make. So yes, you may absolutely place a large donut order, but please do so with a full-day’s advance notice so our kitchen team is notified and prepared to make the proper amount to fulfill your order and serve our guests in the morning. Give us a call at (859) 999-8080, nine, nine, nine - pretzel, donut, pretzel, donut.
Can I order a tray of baked goods for my party or box of goodies for the meeting? Yes!
Yes, we call them bakery boxes. Our bakery boxes will typically contain 6 assorted house-made donuts, 6 slices of apple crumb cake, one large blueberry and one large chocolate muffin sliced. 14 pieces total. If you’re not particular, we may swap out an item or two for another house-baked goodie of the day should we have run out of something. Please write notes in the notes section of your order if your request is specific. Order Online
Can I order group coffee to go? Yes!
You sure can. And we’ll send you off with cups, lids, sugar, and stir sticks…all the fixin’s. In fact, you can order right here. Group Coffee Order We send our coffee carafes with you and request they be returned next day. We suggest seat belting a carafe into the seat next to you for extra assurance, but we can also send you with a garbage bag to ensure if liquid spills, it lands in the garbage bag and not in your car. Let us know how you’d like us to assist you in helping your car stay clean as you transport liquids.
Can I bring my own food to FTC? Sometimes.
When you rent a room at FTC, you are welcome to bring your own food. Some order pizza for their group, bring in cake, or cater a full meal for their guests. FTC also has a simple catering menu great for your breakfast or lunch meetings as well as evening cocktail party platters, charcuterie boards, and dessert trays. One-week advance notice is necessary to ensure we are prepared to serve your large party of 10+. Smaller parties, a few days’ advance notice is preferred. Please call (859) 999-8080 or email connect@fortthomascoffee.com
Also, our neighbors across the street at COMAL offer catering beyond their Mexican cuisine and would be a convenient pickup on your way to your FTC event. Chef Michael is a gem and exceptionally talented having gained experience across the country in a variety of cuisines from Florida to Napa Valley to Texas. You may also give him a call at 859-279-3763 chefmichaelmessmer@gmail.com to see if his offerings suit your party plans.
Can my minor enter your place without an adult? Yes. This is legal and we love your children! But…
Please help us coach minors on how to respectfully show up in restaurant spaces. FTC’s owner, Christine Smalley, created a lesson plan for Middle School students to introduce living respectfully in community. She recognized the need to coach youth around the “why” behind certain city and business rules. She has offered it to local schools. You might like to walk through it with your child as well. Living Respectfully in Community.
Can I do MY Work at FTC for Free? The tables at FTC are for paying customers, but…
you may like our Table Share option in the Connect Center for quiet work. The local city building and library have spaces for those who simply need a WiFi connection and place to work paid for by your tax dollars and prepared beautifully for you. To unlock the amenities of our small business like WiFi, comfortable places to sit and plug-in, we ask guests to pay for that service by purchasing product from our coffee or cocktail bar or purchasing a $15 seat in the Eagle Conference room during our Table Share hours for a full-days work. This gets you complimentary coffee and trail mix and allows our tables to remain available for multiple customers to enjoy throughout the day.
What is Table Share? Table Share is a great Option for…
those needing a reliable space to work, but not needing the product offerings of FTC. When not rented, the Eagle is available for table share at $15/seat. You may spend the afternoon in our Eagle Conference room with others independently working quietly and enjoy the complimentary drip coffee and trail mix bar of the Connect Center. Just call to discover which hours are available for Table Share on that particular day. (859) 999-8080
Do we need to buy anything in order to hang out on the patio? Yes, please.
The patio is private property of One Highland. It is for paying customers of FTC and residents of One Highland. The city has a very nearby Clocktower Park with benches and tables one block down the street near the city building for public use. And a fabulous park, Highland Hills Park, just two blocks behind FTC on Mayfield Ave. These are great public spaces for meeting up and hanging out when you do not need the business services of FTC. Thanks for asking!
I have a group larger than your conference room sizes, but I want my event at FTC. What are my options?
You may host a semi-private event. Parties larger than 24 guests have chosen to rent the private Connect conference rooms + balcony and designate these as their event private areas and home-base. Utilizing the Eagle and Cannon rooms for a gift and cake table, check-in station, or quiet seating and the Connect hallway’s long countertop for a catered food spread. Their guests may enjoy all of FTC and come back to their event’s home-base as desired. Please note, online booking requires each room to be booked separately. See Pricing and Book
I’d like to have a fully private party at FTC, renting the entire space. Is that an option? Yes!
Yes, this is an option on Sundays after 4pm only. FTC is closed to the public only on Sundays after 4pm. Entire space rental cost is $250/hour + a minimum food or beverage order of $100. Please call (859) 999-8080 or email connect@fortthomascoffee.com to book a Sunday after 4pm private event.
I’d rather not pay for a room. Can I move tables in the common area to accomodate my Meeting size?
We prefer tables in the community space be available to customers purchasing food and drink. An option for your meeting is to split the room cost among meeting attendees. The individual cost to your group of 10-12 is $5 or $6 each for and hour in the Eagle or $5 each for a group of 8 in the Cannon. Renting a room offers your group access to complimentary specialty drip coffee, office supplies should you need them, and allows opportunity for your meeting guests to be paying customers when they’re not interested in enjoying food and drink during your meeting.
Can I rent the playroom for a kids’ party?
You may rent an event room in the Connect center for your party, but the playroom remains open to the community. Some party hosts prepare a craft for their guests at the large Eagle Conference table, set up cake and ice cream in the Connect hallway, open gifts, and then watch the children as they play in the playroom after formal party festivities. Please remember to share our House Rules with your party guests so children understand they are not permitted to run through the space or bring toys out of the play area to respect the experience of other guests at FTC. See Pricing and Book
I need a sound secure room for a private conversation. Is that available for rent? Yes!
Yes, our Tower Conference Room is the most secure of our conference rooms. The capacity is 6, but it best seats 2-4 guests at a table. FTC has future plans to outfit this room as the podcast room fully with sound panels and equipment for rent for best quality sound. See Pricing and Book
Can I display a presentation for a meeting? Yes!
Yes, each conference room has a TV capable of sharing your computer screen, your phone screen, or reading your thumb drive. Our TVs are setup to do this wirelessly, however, a variety of cords are also available should they be needed. See Pricing and Book
Can I tape paper to the conference room walls? Yes!
Yes. In fact, it delights us to see how much planning and brainstorming gets done in these rooms. We often see large sticky paper covered with notes. Please use scotch tape or painters tape found in our office supply cabinet. We also have a mobile whiteboard and dry erase markers for your use should you prefer. See Pricing and Book
Can I set up a table/booth in the coffee shop or on the patio to promote My business or cause?
FTC guests appreciate the comfort of walking into their community coffee shop and cocktail lounge as if it’s their own living room, a place where they find belonging, comfort, and rest. So, to protect our community area as such, we do not allow solicitation in the common areas. However, businesses or organizations may rent conference space. Learn about renting your own storefront for the day here and ways to promote yourself.
The patio, belongs to both customers of FTC and resident owners of One Highland Ave. Therefore, we respect that space as our joint outdoor patio. Unless special permission is granted from the One Highland HOA board, this area is for FTC customers and One Highland Resident use only.
Can I put my promotional materials at your register or buy your guests coffee to advertise my business?
Because our business is a space that encourages and invites community, we receive very many requests to promote or solicit for others. To protect our business as a place where guests find comfort and rest, we do not not allow solicitation in the common area except for bulletins on our community board. But, we too are a small business working hard to pay our team and the bills while serving a community, so we want to be supportive of others doing the same. Fort Thomas Connect is our solution for this, offering rental space to other businesses at a discount so they too may have a storefront for the day in a location with regular traffic. You may find information on this here: POP UP SHOP
Can I sell my product at FTC? Yes!
We would love to see you host a Pop Up Shop in our Connect Business Center to showcase your product in your own storefront for the day! Utilize our large street facing window to advertise your business and pop a sign right outside the direct entry door to our largest conference room, the Eagle. We offer discounted pricing for room rentals to small business pop-ups. $50/Hr. Eagle +$25/Hr. Cannon. We will also post a sign at our register. We hope folks get in the weekend rhythm of checking seeing who’s showcasing product in the Connect Center. We will advertise your sale on our scrolling TV at the admin station and make note on our online calendar. When booking, please make note that you are booking a pop up so that we can put the correct pricing on your invoice. See Pricing and Book Learn more about guest traffic and Pop Ups here.
Do you have iced coffee? Yes!
We brew iced coffee seasonally and cold brew year-round. Iced Coffee is brewed in the spring and summer with Deeper Roots Bloom or Summer Punch. It’s brewed in Chemex with hot water directly over ice daily. Cold brew is brewed year-round in cold water overnight for 14 hours in coarse ground Seven Hills Brazil Serra Negra coffee and kegged to be placed on tap.
What’s the difference between a Latte, Cappuccino, Cortado, and Macchiato? Great Question!
Each are espresso drinks listed largest to smallest. You may add flavor to any.
Latte = 2 oz. espresso + 10 oz. steamed milk
Cappuccino = 2 oz. espresso + 2 oz. steamed milk + 2 oz. milk foam
Cortado = 2 oz. espresso + 2oz. steamed milk
Macchiato = 2 oz. espresso + 1 oz. steamed milk + a little bit of milk foam
Why did I get a tiny drink when I ordered a Macchiato?
Another well-known coffee shop has a super fun drink called the caramel macchiato…but it’s very large and not exactly a macchiato. A traditional macchiato is as follows… Macchiato = 2 oz. espresso + 1 oz. steamed milk + a little bit of milk foam. Our version of this familiar “Caramel Macchiato” is more like a Caramel Vanilla Latte with Whipped Cream and Caramel drizzle. Yum! So if that’s the drink you’re hoping for, please let our cashier know you’d like a Caramel Vanilla Latte with Whipped Cream and Caramel drizzle.
Can I call in my order? Sure, but…
You can order online too! When ordering online you may also select your pickup time. Order Here