Everything You Need to Know About the Kentucky Coffee Trail

By the rate at which coffee shops open in the tri-state area, I think it's safe to say we have a lot of coffee fans in the Bluegrass. I love a good coffee shop. A place to hang and people watch, catch up with friends, and enjoy delicious drinks and an occasional baked good.

It would be impossible for me to pick a local favorite, but I love trying new spots while traveling. We always look for cafes or restaurants that are special to that town, versus a major chain shop. They always have their own unique personality or vibe that makes the experience great.

The new Kentucky Coffee Trail is the perfect way to explore caffeinated creations across the state. It has a free interactive app that you download for a map of coffee shops that has been "game-ified." There are challenges, you can earn experience points, climb up the leaderboard, and you can check off each visit to earn your passport "stamp."

was created by Jenni Kaus and her husband Mike Johnson, who own a coffee shop in Vanceburg, KY. With a passion for reviving small downtowns and "those cities that are beautiful and worth exploring, but people may pass on by if they don't have a reason to stop."

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You know those wild ideas you think up, but you aren't sure how in the world you'd even get started? Well, they "boot-strapped it," Jenni said, and figured it out. In collaboration with SOAR (a non-profit dedicated to investing in Eastern Kentucky communities) and their entrepreneur-in-residence mentor, Rick West, they put together a plan to execute this labor of love. Invest 606 awarded them some grant funding, and then Jenni was ready to start forming the actual trail.

"I just started reaching out to shops across the nine tourism regions. Some owners jumped right in, and others were probably like, 'Who is this crazy lady randomly messaging me?" Right now, they are at 57 shops on the list, but they have room for more, especially in Western Kentucky.

Hint hint, nudge nudge, neighbors! "It is $365 a year or a dollar a day to be included on the trail. This is a statewide megaphone for these businesses." Jenni also shared that the response has been great. "So far, we already know that 90% of check-ins at participating shops are from new visitors. 8.9% of those traveling to shops are even driving 75+ miles."

Even though the Kentucky Coffee Trail and App are brand new, Jenni and Mike are already looking to the future with more awesome ways to promote small businesses and even the arts. So that when folks travel to try new coffee, they have places to shop, eat for dinner, and stay the night. They are also looking for regional sponsors to make it all possible. Shout out to the Morehead-Rowan Tourism for being the first to step up for Eastern Kentucky.

My friend Lexi Campbell is one of the Coffee Crawlers. They review and highlight coffee spots, so they have been super excited for the launch of the trail. So far, she has checked off five shops. Lexi and Kimi plan to hit the entire trail. Here is their video for Coffee Central in Central City, KY.

If you want to tackle the trail, Lexi has some good advice. "First tip would be to definitely download the app! There are nine different regions on the coffee trail. So I would say familiarize yourself with the map. Check store hours too, so you’re not making a trip for nothing. Also, one of the points of the coffee trail is to explore, so while you’re grabbing coffee, look for something else to do in that area. When you purchase your coffee, make sure you scan the QR code to get your passport stamp."

Visit https://thekentuckycoffeetrail.com/ to download the app and learn more about the trail.