Radical Bean Cooperative has quietly set up shop in Over-the-Rhine, bringing what it bills as Cincinnati’s first worker-owned coffee spot to the neighborhood. The café doubles as a casual community hub, with low-cost drinks during the day and planned evening events aimed at neighbors more than the late-night bar crowd. Owner Rayan Saoud says the cooperative model is built so profits cycle back to employees while keeping prices accessible and the space welcoming.
Worker-owned model and local sourcing
According to Co-op Cincy, Radical Bean is Cincinnati’s first cooperatively owned coffee business and sits in northern Over-the-Rhine near the cocktail bar Somerset. The group notes that the shop brews ethically sourced, single-origin beans roasted locally by Viva Coffee Roasters and that its cooperative framework is structured to keep wages and key decisions in workers’ hands. Co-op Cincy also lists Radical Bean as part of its expanding network of worker-owned start-ups and trainings.
Owner's vision
"I always say we're a 'coffee-second' coffee shop," Saoud told Cincinnati CityBeat. The outlet reports that Saoud closed and reworked the former Topia co-op to focus more squarely on community outreach and affordability, noting that much of the café’s backbone still relies on ethically sourced, single-origin beans from local Urbana. Saoud frames Radical Bean first as a place where neighbors can learn and gather, and only second as a polished boutique coffee bar.
Menu and hours
The menu mixes classic espresso drinks with house-made specialties such as chai, matcha, horchata, and agua fresca, and delivery listings show lattes and similar drinks typically in the $4 to $6 range. Delivery and pickup pages also feature small bites and rotating specials; for up-to-date offerings and service hours, check the shop’s DoorDash and Uber Eats listings. Saoud says many of the drinks on the board were created collectively by workers as part of the co-op’s shared decision-making process.
Community programming and causes
Radical Bean is already leaning into its community-center ambitions. The café hosts game nights, karaoke, tea parties, and cat adoption events, while also running workshops for local students on practical skills like cooking and filing taxes, Saoud told Cincinnati CityBeat. CityBeat also reported that the shop supports the Palestinian art and activist collective PALSHIELD, which describes itself as providing direct emergency and logistical support to communities in the occupied territories. Saoud says he is in talks with Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney to highlight the café as an educational hub and that he is planning food drives in nearby parks.
What's next
The storefront previously operated as Topia Co-Op before a spring relaunch, and the former Topia website now carries Radical Bean’s hours and menu details. Local cooperative organizers are already using the space for meetings and trainings; for upcoming sessions and tours, see Co-op Cincy and the information page at Topia/Radical Bean. Saoud says the plan is to keep programming nimble so the co-op can respond to what the neighborhood wants while still prioritizing ethical wages and worker governance.
