Ann Arbor’s coffee culture inspires cafe owner to open new location

A decade-old coffee shop and cafe with a loyal following is opening a new location in downtown Ann Arbor to complement its Maynard Street original. Cafe Ambrosia will also change its name, says owner Ed Rennolet, to Elixir Vitae Coffee & Tea. The new location at 117 E. Liberty, a block off Main Street, opened Monday after several weeks of renovations. The original shop at 326 Maynard Street, opened 10 years ago and built a base of loyal customers looking for freshly roasted beans from local companies: RoosRoast in Ann Arbor and Coffee Express Co. in Plymouth. With Ann Arbor's coffee faithful to pull from Rennolet expects to build the same following at the new store though he sees this part of downtown as a completely different market. As for the new name, he says, he's known for years that it should happen because of the common use of Ambrosia by other businesses. He wanted something original and he wanted to avoid confusion with the Ambrosia Coffee Co. Source: Ed Rennolet, owner/operator, Elixir Vitae Coffee & Tea Writer: Kim North Shine