Black Wax Cafe

Black Wax Cafe in Kokomo grew out of vintage, antiques, records, and a cafe space that turned into the center of the whole idea. The answers here are about making the shop feel lived-in, intentional, and slow enough that people actually dig.

Interview with Black Wax Cafe

How did Black Wax Cafe turn from vintage and antiques into records and coffee?

It kind of happened sideways. I was doing vintage and antiques, and records were just one part of what I dealt in. Then COVID hit right as my lease was ending, and I picked up a spot that happened to have a cafe in it. So I moved everything over, closed out the antiques side, put the records front and center, and kept the cafe because I liked the idea of people having a place to actually sit and enjoy themselves, not just buy something and leave. The coffee wasn’t the plan. It just fit.

Did you think of it first as a hangout, a record store, or both?

Both, but the hangout came first in my head. A store is just a transaction. I wanted a place people actually want to be, where you can bring your dog, hear something you’ve never heard, and walk out with a record you didn’t know you needed. The selling takes care of itself when people want to be there.

How intentional is the mood of the room?

Very intentional. None of it is accident. The music playing, what’s on the walls, how it’s laid out, all of it is on purpose. I want it to feel like you walked into somebody’s collection, not onto a retail floor. If the mood is right, people stay. If they stay, they find something.

How do coffee and records feed into each other during the day?

All day, both directions. Somebody comes in for a drink on their lunch and walks out flipping through a bin they never planned to touch. Somebody comes in hunting one specific record and ends up sitting with a coffee for an hour. The coffee gives people a reason to slow down, and slowing down is when you actually dig.

Who comes through, and what do they dig for?

It’s a mix, and it’s widened a lot lately. Classic rock is still the core, call it seventies through nineties, that’s what most of my regulars dig for. But the generations coming in keep changing it up. I’ve got younger kids hunting Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Morgan Wallen, and then a whole other crowd deep in blues, funk, hip hop, and jazz. I mostly focus on 12-inch vinyl, new and used, but I also carry CDs and cassettes. There’s a little something for whoever walks in.

What kind of customer mix captures the personality of the place?

Honestly, it’s less about one record for me and more about the range of people who come through. I’ll have somebody’s kid in here hunting a Taylor Swift record while an older guy two bins over is digging for something from the seventies, and they’re both having a good time in the same room. That mix is the personality of the place.

When someone wants to sell records, what is the best way to start?

Easiest thing is just come in or message me and tell me what you’ve got. You don’t need to price it or sort it, just bring it. An easy yes for me is a collection that’s been taken care of, kept clean, kept in sleeves, with some range to it. Condition matters more than people think. I’ll look at anything though, and even if it isn’t a fit for my shelves I can usually point you somewhere.

FAQ

Does Black Wax Cafe buy used records?

Yes. Sellers can come in or message the shop with what they have, and clean, sleeved collections with range are the easiest fit.

What formats does Black Wax Cafe carry?

The shop focuses on new and used 12-inch vinyl, with CDs and cassettes also in the mix.

Is Black Wax Cafe also a coffee shop?

Yes. Coffee is part of the experience, giving visitors a reason to slow down, sit, and dig rather than rush through the bins.

Last updated: 2026-08-17

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