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Mazevo Coffee Roasters and Espresso Bar is downtown Billings’ newest place to hang out and sate your caffeine crave.
Owners Damion Taylor and Tyler Nash opened Mazevo in early January at 2719 First Ave. N., the former site of a cupcake shop, and they’re hoping to stand out in a growing downtown market.
“We wanted to have a place where people can gather, have a community,” Taylor, 22, said.
That’s the thinking behind the name “Mazevo,” a Greek word that means gather. The 250-square-foot space is tight but welcoming, with chairs at the window and a table with a hand-carved chess set.
In back is the roasting business, Live His Love, which has a Christian philosophy and donates profits to humanitarian causes.
Taylor said he’s selling Live His Love coffee at the shop, but Mazevo is a separate business.
Mazevo serves the traditional caffeinated drinks — espresso, lattes, machiatos — with a couple twists. An affagato, for example, is an ice cream espresso and is popular with customers, Taylor said.
Mazevo joins a growing group of coffee shops downtown, including Rock Creek Roasters, Moav Coffee, Ebon Coffee Collective, Coffee Tavern and Starbucks.
Because of the competition, Taylor said the pair had originally looked on the West End. However, the downtown spot turned out to be ideal, a cozy, affordable space across the street from the Northern Hotel.
“People coming from the hotel, this place reminds them of the city,” said Taylor, who lived in Hawaii and New York City after graduating high school.
Taylor and Nash grew up together in Glendive.
“We’ve been friends for a long time, doing business ventures and projects together,” Nash, 23, said.
The two spent about $50,000 to launch the business, financed mostly from their parents.
Mazevo is open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 6 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The phone number is 534-6625.
