One of the biggest coffee chains in the city is moving its flagship Downtown location.
Urbana Café, which opened a storefront inside the Atlas Building during the COVID-19 pandemic, is now moving that location to the Contemporary Arts Center.
The newest Urbana location will be on the first floor of the CAC and will operate seven days a week when it opens this April.
“CAC has always seen itself as a living room for the city – a place where art, ideas, and people come together,” said Carolyn Hefner, Chief of External Affairs at CAC. “Partnering with Urbana strengthens that vision by adding a daily ritual to the museum experience, inviting people to linger, connect, and return.”
The coffee shop is changing locations due to the renovation of the Atlas Building by local developer Urban Sites. The century-old building was once Atlas Bank, then the home of Fifth Third Bank’s offices, and is now being transformed into luxury apartments. That remodel will force Urbana out of the location they’ve held for four years, but the cafe’s founder looks back on their time in the building fondly.
“Those early days were quiet – but we believed in downtown and what this space could become,” said Daniel Noguera, founder and president of Urbana Café. “Over time, the café grew into a place filled with connection and everyday rituals that make a neighborhood feel like home.”
This new iteration of Urbana Café in the CAC’s lobby will operate through Summer 2027.
Other Urbana Café locations exist in Price Hill, Pendleton, East Walnut Hills and Findlay Market. The group also runs a pastry shop titled Moxy that sells freshly-baked goods just outside Findlay Market every day.