Madcap Coffee, established in 2008 by Ryan Knapp and Trevor Corlett, will be opening a new Grand Rapids location in spring 2016. In 2015, Madcap acquired 3,500 square feet in a 1930s building previously used as an auto shop. Until they receive permission for an additional 1,400 square feet, a proposal that will be addressed with the Grand Rapids City Commission in April, the new location is being used for coffee brewing that is then delivered to the original location or shipped wholesale. This area, which also currently houses operations for Brewery Vivant, is located on Fulton Street about a mile and a half away from Madcap’s first location. This Fulton location is also in close proximity to the Fulton Street Farmer’s Market, which allows for easy access to fresh ingredients.

Upon approval for the full space, Madcap will relocate all of its roasting operations and office functions to this new building, and the new yet-to-be-approved 1,400 square foot space will be used for a cafe. Wanting to maintain the aesthetic of what this building used to be in the 1930s, the interior will take inspiration from the neighborhood and give it a more working-class feel with the help of their design team, Seth Herman and Chuck Anderson, who offer consulting and design. The duo also did Madcap’s logo work.

“It’s a strip where you’re seeing new and exciting businesses coming up slowly, but also some of the oldest businesses in Grand Rapids are within a block of us,” said Knapp in an interview with Sprudge, a journal focused on coffee culture. “We’re really looking to build a space that connects to the feel of the neighborhood, but we’ll still have that clean Madcap polished look.”

Since the roastery has large windows, they’re taking advantage of that visibility and arranging the space so that those who stand in the cafe will be able to see both the preparation of the coffee in the cafe and the roasting operations.

In creation of this new cafe, Knapp and Corlett drew inspiration from the craft bar industry, wanting the shop to include bar seating for ordering drinks and bites to eat, allowing for on-the-go options. This on-the-go idea was established recently in the original location and includes having batch brew and coffees ready to go and working with ways to get people in and out quicker for convenience, , while still being bar-focused to allow customers to stay for hours should that be intention of their visit. This menu will also include made-to-order homemade Belgian waffles with a variety of seasonal spreads.