Coffee Emporium cafes sold across Johnson County

A small chain of local coffee shops has come under new ownership.

Coffee Emporium’s four locations in Coralville, Iowa City, North Liberty and Tiffin were sold by Abby Ochs to North Liberty resident Alex Nelson last month. Nelson, a local entrepreneur, owns The Midnight Gem wedding venue in Swisher and Little Gems Baby Boutique in North Liberty with his wife, Jordan Nelson.

The sale follows rapids growth for the enterprise, which grew from one location to four under Ochs’ ownership.

Ochs purchased the original Coffee Emporium location in downtown Cedar Rapids in January 2021. She opened a Coralville location later in 2021, took over High Ground Cafe in April 2023 and opened two more locations in Tiffin and North Liberty by the end of 2023. She also closed the struggling Cedar Rapids location, which established the brand in 1991.

Since then, she moved to Texas, where she has had a child and experienced substantial growth with her human resources consulting firm, Gro Consulting.

“Life has picked up in Texas, and the team deserves (local management),” Ochs said. “It became very apparent through the winter I was not going to be able to travel back and forth as much as I wanted.”

Nelson said he hopes to continue growth, add coffee-based cocktails and eventually rebrand next year as the business expands its footprint.

But for now, the coffee shops will keep their existing menu of food and beverages. Coffee Emporium’s coffee supplier, Capanna Coffee Roasters, also will remain the same.

“We want to use our experience around events to see what we can do,” he said. “We want to grow more locally and do more events, coffee trucks, fun things like that.”

The North Liberty couple, who were raised in Cedar Rapids, are eyeing opportunities for new Corridor locations in Cedar Rapids, Marion, Coralville and Ely.

Continued growth for the business was a priority for Ochs as she chose a successor for the brand that aimed to replicate the feel of independent coffee shops in multiple locations without feeling like a franchise.

“It’s a solid brand. I wanted to see someone continue to invest in it and make it grow more regionally,” she said. “It was an immediate ‘no’ for anyone who wanted to sit there and collect money and not invest in it.”

Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.