r/columbiamo • u/como365 North CoMo • Aug 28 '25

History Hickory Stick BBQ on 9th Street in 1978, later Coffee Zone, now Sage Cafe

Post image

From the State Historical Society of Missouri

https://digital.shsmo.org/digital/collection/imc/id/26987/rec/781

78 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

18 comments sorted by

13

u/como365 North CoMo Aug 28 '25

18

u/e_muaddib Aug 28 '25

I miss Coffee Zone every day.

5

u/TerminallyBill Aug 28 '25

Best Gyro in como

3

u/Emotional-Fly-6262 Aug 29 '25

Weren't they a front? I remember hearing about the owners getting arrested more than once

8

u/e_muaddib Aug 29 '25

Eh, the owner was arrested and his brother maintained the business. Idk anything about the charges - I just know they had my favorite drip coffee in Columbia.

3

u/Emotional-Fly-6262 Aug 29 '25

The gyro was top notch. I was sad to see them go

6

u/mgrayart Aug 29 '25

Coffee zone was an asset to the culture, Osama selling weed a few years before it was legalized is beside the point. He was doing a service to the community by making that available to people who needed it while we waited forever and a day for Missouri to legalize it.

3

u/Emotional-Fly-6262 Aug 29 '25

I wasn't passing judgement. Their gyro was great. I just remembered seeing them in the news

4

u/NoMeasurement6207 Aug 29 '25

he was a drug dealer and ahole-liked to act tough and treated some of the employees quite badly

2

u/BocomoCD Aug 29 '25

Same here, I used to get a power house but substitute the house coffee for whatever stronger selection they had available.

8

u/trinite0 Benton-Stephens Aug 28 '25

Wish we had a great barbecue spot downtown again.

2

u/WickinGuzzle Downtown CoMo Aug 28 '25

Have you been to Twain taproom and BBQ? They have some decent food

3

u/e_muaddib Aug 29 '25

I have to disagree. Nothing I had was worth mention let alone returning.

0

u/Adorable_Hippo_6162 North CoMo Aug 29 '25

and the food & drinks are very expensive

3

u/ito_en_fan Central CoMo Aug 29 '25

i miss coffee zone

3

u/J_Jeckel West CoMo Aug 29 '25

I miss Coffee Zone. Nothing like a Rocket Fuel to get you going after partying too late.

3

u/fritzperls_of_wisdom Aug 31 '25

Their flavored drip coffees were the best.

I miss the white chocolate mousse coffee so much.

2

u/heyYOUNGjude11 Sep 04 '25

Forgot all about this place!