Local
Café Stai Manso Closes After Months of Public Dispute in Columbus
The coffee trailer launched near downtown Columbus in February and later drew criticism over a $60,000 fundraising request and allegations about its treatment of LGBTQ+ people and employees. The business has since closed, and its owners’ social media accounts are no longer online.
Café Stai Manso, a coffee trailer that opened outside Ebb & Float at 231 N. Fifth St. in February, has closed after months of public controversy, including disputes over a proposed expansion and allegations about how the business treated LGBTQ+ people and employees.
The trailer has moved from its former spot, and the business’s social media accounts have been deleted. No specific closing date was announced.
The controversy became public in August, when owners Jessie and Hailey Megrelishvili sought $60,000 from the public to help open a brick-and-mortar café at 243 N. Fifth St. The request prompted criticism online from people questioning whether a business unable to finance the expansion itself could manage the ongoing costs of a storefront.
Around the same time, Kylie Fadley, owner of the LGBTQ+-owned coffee cart Callin’ Your Bluff, posted allegations on TikTok that Café Stai Manso did not support the LGBTQ+ community and had treated workers unfairly. Fadley said she had met the owners when they launched and had previously offered them guidance, but spoke publicly after the fundraising request and online discussion drew attention to the business.
The owners responded in a video. Hailey Megrelishvili said the couple are Christians, while Jessie Megrelishvili denied that they failed to pay employees. He acknowledged that one employee had received wages two weeks late, said the issue was resolved and described it as the only such incident.
Fadley said her concerns were about the treatment of LGBTQ+ people, not the owners’ religion. Café Stai Manso later posted a statement on Reddit denying that it had turned away or intentionally discriminated against LGBTQ+ customers and saying it supported their rights and dignity.
The business continued operating after the statements, but criticism persisted online. Its closure leaves the planned storefront at 243 N. Fifth St. unrealized. The available account does not establish that the disputes caused the business to close.