INUVIK - Inuvik is getting its coffee shop back and it's expected to open in the first week of June.

This time the business will be run by Debbie Karl and Moe Grant, who owns the office space and currently operates Moe's Stationery located beside it. It will occupy the old Cafe Gallery location on Mackenzie Road which closed last November.

From left, Moe Grant offers a cheers while carpenter Duane Seward and his helper Andrew Robertson take a break from renovating the kitchen of Inuvik's coffee shop, which is expected to reopen in the first week of June. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

Grant said the pair decided to reopen the business after toying with the idea and considering bids from interested parties for several weeks.

"You just want a nice place to go have coffee," she said. "It's a meeting place; it's an essential social thing. The town needs good food. Hopefully we'll be able to provide one out of the three, " she said with a laugh.

The location's interior has undergone a complete facelift, including a new floor, new and freshly painted walls. Tables and chairs to seat 48 people are on their way.

"Everything's brand new," said Karl. "We've freshened it up."

The cafe will offer a range of speciality coffee and they already have a new cappuccino machine which arrived from Italy.

The daily menu will boast soups, salads, sandwiches as well as a variety of baked goods. Karl added the focus will be on offering a healthy variety and prompt service.

They're planning to hire three full-time staff.

They said one of the operational differences between their coffee house and Cafe Gallery is that sandwiches will be pre-made each morning, which means more customers can be served during the busy lunch hour.

As of last week finishing touches were being made to the kitchen area.

While the focus will be on a mostly adult clientele, Karl is hoping youth will feel comfortable enough to drop in, just as long as they don't treat it like a drop-in centre, she said

The pair are hoping to grow the menu according to demand. For now they're not offering a vast breakfast menu but that could change.

"We're going to start slow," said Karl. "We're not going to start off with 50 items in the morning. I want to make sure we manage what we have.

"Maybe we could offer sausage rolls. I have a thousand ideas, including a brown bag lunch for people to pick up in the morning. It's a process."

Arlene Hansen said she's thrilled that the coffee shop is reopening.

"I think it's great," said Hansen. "I think every town should have a coffee shop. It's great that they have pre-made food that's healthy and you can walk in and walk out with something in a relatively short period. Plus competition makes everything work better."

Although they want to see the business flourish, Karl said part of the reason why they're doing it is to give something back to the town.

"It's something we both really believe in."