Our Story

Every great story starts with a leap of faith. Ours began with one simple question:

"What if I bet on myself?"

Before StoneFruit Coffee existed, founder Josh Langenheim worked in corrections while earning a degree in psychology. While grateful for every opportunity, he always felt called to build something of his own—something that would create opportunities, strengthen the community, and leave a lasting impact.

With no investors, no polished business plan, and only a small coffee roaster in his garage, Joshua invested $5,000 into a dream. Every batch of coffee was roasted by hand, every mistake became a lesson, and every dollar earned was poured back into building something meaningful.

That dream became reality when StoneFruit Coffee opened its first location at 410 West Main Street in Canfield. The café wasn't extravagant, the budget was almost nonexistent, and the future was uncertain—but the vision never changed: create more than a coffee shop. Create a place where people could gather, build relationships, and feel at home.

In the beginning, Josh did everything himself. He opened the shop every morning, closed it every evening, roasted coffee, served customers, cleaned the café, and carried the bright red patio umbrellas outside each day before unlocking the doors.

Those umbrellas became a symbol of hope.

Every morning they went up with the belief that someone would walk through the door. For nearly five months, hardly anyone did.

The days were long, the finances were tight, and there were moments when walking away seemed like the logical choice. Then one afternoon, a woman stopped in for a cup of coffee. After a short conversation, she quietly placed a $20 bill into the tip jar before leaving.

To most people, it was simply a generous tip.

To Josh, it was hope.

Twenty dollars! To most people, it wouldn't have meant much. To me, it meant everything. That twenty dollars fed my stomach that day, but more importantly, it fed my heart. She encouraged me to keep going because she believed our community needed what I was trying to build. She'll probably never know what that moment meant to me. She didn't just leave a tip; she gave me enough hope to carry those red umbrellas outside again the next morning. Looking back, that may have been the most important investment StoneFruit ever received.

As time passed, more people chose to believe. StoneFruit hired its first employee, Hunter, whose dedication and leadership would eventually lead her to become the company's General Manager, Josh's wife, and the mother of their daughter. Shortly afterward, Jake became StoneFruit's first investor and now years later becoming CFO, providing the support needed to continue growing when success was still far from certain.

What began as a garage coffee roaster and a small café has grown into a community built on relationships, hospitality, and exceptional coffee. While much has changed over the years, the mission remains the same: to serve people well, create meaningful experiences, and make every guest feel like they belong.

Today, every cup of coffee is a reminder of where StoneFruit started—and of the people who believed before success ever arrived.

No matter how much StoneFruit grows, we'll never forget where it all began.

Lead with love. The coffee will take care of the rest.