116 3rd St SE
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Capanna Coffee Roasters shop in North Liberty acquired by Coffee Emporium
Capanna brand to shift focus to roasting
Sep. 5, 2023 5:00 am, Updated: Sep. 5, 2023 11:55 am
NORTH LIBERTY — A popular gelatery and coffee shop in North Liberty is changing hands as the brand shifts its focus.
Starting Oct. 1, Capanna Coffee Roasters at 710 Pacha Pkwy., Unit 6, will become Coffee Emporium. The shop will close for one day on Sept. 30 to complete the transition.
While the shop will rebrand with Coffee Emporium’s menu, the roasted coffee beans and gelato will remain the same. Capanna Coffee Roasters, which roasts and distributes coffee beans to several coffee shops in the Corridor, has been Coffee Emporium’s supplier since 2006, when Coffee Emporium’s only location was in Cedar Rapids.
“We have two thriving businesses and look forward to focusing our attention on the roastery, since it’s a huge area of growth for Capanna,” Mike McCain, owner of Capanna Coffee Roasters, told The Gazette. “We are happy to continue providing local, fresh roasted beans to Coffee Emporium and other wholesale and individual customers as we shift our focus.”
Capanna started roasting coffee in 2006 and opened its North Liberty storefront in 2011.
With the acquisition, Coffee Emporium also will bring several gelato flavors to its other locations across Johnson County.
Coffee Emporium owner Abby Ochs said the acquisition was a good fit for the rapidly growing brand as McCain saw growth in the roasting side of his business and decided to focus his attention on it. Ochs’ new North Liberty location will bring a second drive-thru to her brand’s small chain, after a Tiffin location opened in May.
“Our relationship with him as grown tremendously as we’ve added different locations,” she said.
In two years, Coffee Emporium has opened a new location in Coralville’s Iowa River Landing; sold the original downtown Cedar Rapids location first opened in 1994; taken over High Ground Cafe in Iowa City; and opened a location in Tiffin.
The North Liberty location will be its fourth.
Comments: (319) 398-8340; elijah.decious@thegazette.com
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