OXFORD — A Miami University history professor has taken his interest in coffee from the classroom to the business world, opening the Oxford Coffee Company at 21 Lynn Avenue.

Bob Thurston said his interest in coffee goes back many years, starting as a personal interest. As his research took him to other countries and he added to his knowledge of the subject, it crossed over from curiosity to scholarly interest.

“I taught the history of coffee at Miami and taught about the history of coffee in other courses,” he said....