Poppets Coffee & Tea @ 2nd Street Market

Poppets is a stall inside Dayton's 2nd Street Market, which means the experience is part-market browse, part-coffee shop, with no real seating attached. Free brewed samples are typically on the counter, which is the right move for a flavored-coffee operation that asks customers to commit to a bag without trying first. Repeat customers drive in from out of town for it, and the online side ships orders nationally.

The stall itself is cozy in the market sense of the word: a wide flavor display, a sample pot, and a counter with enough room for one person to work without bumping into the next vendor. There is no dedicated seating area, so the visit is a stand-and-taste-and-decide rhythm rather than a sit-down. The market floor provides the rest of the atmosphere on its own.

The selection is wider than most market stalls have any business carrying. Single origins at various roast levels run alongside flavored coffees, and the Toasted Marshmallow is the name that comes up as the order to try once. The tea side holds up too: the Oolong selection includes a hairy crab variety that gets singled out by name, which is a more specific recommendation than a market stall usually generates. Sample the brewed pot before you commit, and ask about which flavored bag was packed most recently.

Who this suits is straightforward. Market browsers walking the floor at 2nd Street, flavored-coffee fans who want a serious selection in one stop, and online buyers ordering tea or coffee shipped from a small Dayton operation. If you wanted to sit down and work, you will need to find a table elsewhere in the market or in the building. If you wanted a wide flavor display and a free sample before you put down money on a bag, walk straight to the stall and stay a few minutes.