Since the opening of the cozy and, at times, cramped Coffee Shop Northeast two years ago, customers’ desire for more space has not gone unnoticed, said its co-owner Rich Horton. Customers and owners will get their wish in early August when an expansion doubles the shop’s size, he said.

“There will be plenty of seating. We tend to fill up at lunch time and in the morning, and then on the weekends people end up leaving because there’s nowhere to sit down,” said Horton, adding that the new space in the back will create about 900 square feet of seating, and add 26 more seats to the current 34.

The new space will absorb part of the adjacent unit, which EMI Audio vacated after its move to Robbinsdale. The storefront of that unit is available for rent, he said.

The expansion will allow more wall space for art sales and events in the evening. “We’ve had poetry readings and little bits of live music, but it is kind of hard when it’s such a small area because it’s in your face,” he said.

Horton said that his favorite part about the expansion so far has been the reaction from customers.

“A lot of people have wanted us to have more room for a long time,” he said.  (Source: The Journal)