A popular West Bank coffee shop is in store for a big expansion.

Mapps Coffee and Tea recently closed their business to expand and reopen as Campus Cafe, a Turkish cafe and restaurant. The business plans to open its doors in Cedar-Riverside in the next two months. 

The cafe, located at 1810 Riverside Ave., will introduce Turkish food options for meat eaters, vegans and vegetarians. 

“We’ll flood the neighborhood with a lot of delicious new tastes that [have] been cooking for hundreds of years in Turkey,” said co-owner Faruk Cingilli.

Cingilli said the restaurant will keep its coffee and tea selection. 

Students will still have the option to grab a cup of coffee, lounge around for study sessions or enjoy an affordable meal, co-owner Abdirahman Kahin said.

“It’s going [to be] a restaurant cafe … where you can grab your coffee, smoothies, everything that Mapps used to sell,” Kahin said.  

The menu will offer beef, lamb, chicken and shish kebabs, which will be served in wraps, sandwiches or bowls. 

It will also include doner, Turkish gyros, and pide, Turkish pizza, among other things, Cingilli said.

“We have a Turkish chef coming from Turkey to cook the authentic food,” said Mesude Cingilli, the owner’s wife. “[The food] will range from $5 to $15 … we will be open from … 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., but that could change.”

Mapps has been a favorite spot for students and faculty for many years, said Jamie Schumacher, the executive director of the West Bank Business Association. 

“We hope they stay strong as a restaurant … and that it remains a favorite for students and the many community members that frequent Mapps as their go-to spot for meetings and networking,” she said. 

University senior Chloe Bell has been a Mapps customer since freshman year. She and her classmates from the University’s theater department meet there after rehearsals to work on homework or get coffee.

“I am excited about it … especially because we don’t have that many real food options,” Bell said. “With rehearsals and stuff happening, it’s nice to have somewhere quick to go to for food.”

University of Minnesota senior Hal Sansone, also a longtime customer, said they are interested to see what the expanded cafe will offer.

Many theater students visited Mapps since its location is close to their rehearsals, Sansone said. 

“Similarly, to Chloe, I am interested in the options they’re going to have,” Sansone said. “Like, if it’s a place where we can go sit and study … the options it’s going to provide for food and also the change in [the] environment that will take place.” 

Sansone expressed they would like to have a place that offers vegan options for those who don’t eat meat. 

“We’d like real food. … Vegan food would be awesome, and affordability would be great,” Sansone said.

Mapps always did well with students and teachers as a spot for a “well-needed caffeine boost,” Schumacher said. 

“A full menu could build on this growth very naturally,” she said. “We’re excited to see a locally owned small business expand and encourage this type of growth over the displacement of small businesses.”

The expansion will help ensure that the cafe remains in the neighborhood, Schumacher said. 

“It will remain successful even if rent increases slightly over the next years, which is anticipated,” she said.

Campus Cafe plans to open by early November.