You wake up hungry and parched, yearning for some caffeine to satisfy your sleepy self. But you don’t want the regular water, tea or coffee available at home. And your sparkling, independent personality has no interest in patronizing a bland chain like Starbucks or Caribou—the lines are always so long, anyway! You want to try something new and exciting. Well, the newly opened Fixx Coffee in Columbia Heights is the fix for you! A couple of minutes down Central Avenue, nestled between 40th and 41st Avenues, and the unique cafe will be awaiting you.
Founded by Norah Jane, who opened the shop in honor of her grandmother (with whom she has several fond memories of conversing with and gaining knowledge from over warm drinks), its name comes from the idea that perhaps anything can be “fixed” over a mug of joe. And this is something that anyone—not just wise, old grandmothers—can appreciate.
Fun fact: This Fixx-er upper cafe is closer in spirit to Columbia Heights High School (CHHS) than you may think. One of Fixx’s employees, Shelley Santrac, went to CHHS back in the 1970s. According to Santrac, the top-secret origin of the ‘Fixx’ in Fixx coffee is because…(drumroll, please, as this is an exclusive Heights Herald scoop) the repetition of the letter ‘x’ in Fixx was inspired by the repetitions of the letter ‘e’ and ‘f’ in coffee. Hey, that’s also a fun fact!
Fixx Coffee’s menu offers a large variety of morning beverages from which to choose. They seem to have everything you need, from your everyday cafe items like coffee, espresso, cold brew and tea (with more than just the usual flavor mix-ins, including banana and tahini date lattes) to unique items like Italian and French sodas and even smoothies—and that’s just the refreshments menu.
“My kids and I love exploring our locally owned coffee shops and Fixx was on our list. I love that Fixx is family owned & run, and run well” Columbia Heights Resident Betsy Mevissen said. “The beverages they recommended were delicious and unique. We thought the breakfast sandwich was amazing, so much so that when our power went out I ran over to Fixx to get sandwiches and drinks again.”
Fixx also has an impressive breakfast menu including coffee cakes, sourdough English muffins, mini banana bread loaves, egg and cheese sandwiches and a muffin of the day. What’s most intriguing, however, is an atypical offering that also has a regularly rotating slate of daily flavors: their savory potato torte.
“Fixx Coffee feels like home! You receive a warm welcome & are offered an extensive array of drinks and delectable treats” Columbia Heights Resident Julie Rose said. “I’ve never been to a Coffee Shop before with such a wide variety. There are food choices for gluten-free and vegan people. My favorite is the pasta salad and all of the pastry choices.”
Fixx Coffee isn’t just a regular cafe either—it’s a cafe that hosts events in an adjacent space called The Central Mix! On September 28, they hosted a thrift fashion event at the cafe, just to name one. The event started with the traditional coffee and small talk, and later they hosted a bingo game and finally, the fashion show. The event lasted for three hours, but surely the memories that customers made there will last much longer, as will the memories made every day by this welcoming, friendly new Heights establishment.
