KALAMAZOO, MI -- Black Owl Cafe owners Garrett Krugh and Darren Bain were all smiles on Thursday morning when they found out Black Owl topped the list of favorites in MLive's search for Michigan's Best Coffee Shop.

"It was unexpected," Bain said. "Totally excited. Thank you everybody."

Both men thanked their fans and customers who voted for them in the poll for the favorite Kalamazoo coffee shop, where Black Owl bested more than a dozen other area coffee shop nominees. The Black Owl was in a tight competition for second place for most of the poll, but an appeal to Facebook friends moved the coffee roasters and sellers into first place over Water Street Coffee Joint and the next highest vote-getter Fourth Coast Cafe.

If You Go

Black Owl Cafe

Where:

414 Walbridge St.





Contact:

269-459-1334 or

In his story naming the Top 10 coffee shops, Gonzalez said, "The fun never ends at Black Owl Cafe. First, you will love the interior, which features reclaimed wood throughout the building, and even in the bathroom, which is a work of art with vintage black and white photographs, wood frames, mirrors and owls. The coffee is roasted (as Kalamazoo Coffee Company) on site by owners Darren Bain and Garrett Krugh and packaged in the back shop."

Krugh and Bain said as great as the atmosphere is in the shop, the real selling point is the coffee, which they roast themselves through their company Kalamazoo Coffee Co. Every cup of coffee is made to order for customers, with the beans being freshly ground and then brewed through one of five hand-processed methods, Krugh said.

In his story on the winners, Gonzalez also praised Water Street for its food and its Bali Blue Moon, a light roast coffee from the Kintamani Highlands in Indonesia. "We also loved the Sleeping Bear Mocha and the Mocha Del Sol, the latter kicking it up a notch with cayenne pepper," he said.

Bain and Krugh said they hope that the award will helps boost business. While the search has been running for the past two weeks, they've been busier than ever. Krugh said he's looking forward to spring, opening up the cafe's outdoor seating and expanding their hours. He also hopes that with more traffic, the coffee shop will have a chance to expand their menu.

The Kalamazoo coffee company is unveiling it's newest flavor Creme Brulee from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Sawall Health Foods, where they'll be pouring samples of the coffee and displaying come of their coffee bags, which feature Bain's hand painted artwork, and copies of his children's book Kip and K'nor.

Check out the nominees in other areas on MLive.com. The link will also let you follow Gonzo's tour of the state's java joints.

Linda S. Mah is a reporter for the Kalamazoo Gazette. Reach her at 269-303-6567 or her at lmah@mlive.com. You can follow her on Twitter.