ISU students will have one more option when selecting a coffee shop when the Barista Cafe opens on campus Monday.

The cafe, located near the commons of Buchanan Hall, will serve coffee and specialty drinks along with juice, fresh fruit and bottled water.

The grand opening will be held at 4 p.m. Monday. Regular business hours will then be Monday through Friday 7:30 to 11 a.m. and 5 until 11 p.m., and Sundays 5 until 11 p.m. The cafe’s management hopes the location will draw Buchanan Hall residents as well as members of the nearby Greek community who would otherwise have to go to the Memorial Union for refreshments.

The cafe was the idea of students involved in the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Learning Community. From the first steps of the project until the cafe opens its doors for business, students in the learning community have been in charge.

“We’ve put a lot of time and energy into this,” said cafe CEO Megan Todd, senior in marketing. “It’s been a team effort.”

In addition to her duties as CEO, Todd also serves as a peer mentor to the 12 students who put their time and effort into making the idea of the cafe a reality. The students acted as shareholders, each buying into the business by committing a certain amount of time and labor to the proj”None of us have ever done this before, especially on this scale,” Todd said. “But I think we’re ready.”

Getting the cafe ready for opening day was a challenging experience for its shareholders.

“The past couple of months have been pretty crazy,” said Scott Rodenburg, sophomore in pre-business. “When it really comes down to the specific details, it’s crazy how much you have to do.”

Those details included getting insurance for the business, dealing with health inspections and the last-minute installation of an espresso machine. All the work on the cafe, which was previously a janitor’s closet, was the responsibility of the students.

“It’s been all us making the calls,” Rodenburg said. “I’ve learned quite a bit.”

For Ashley Hunter, sophomore in health and human performance, being involved with the cafe has been an invaluable experience.

“We’ve done everything ourselves, and it can all be applied to real life,” she said. Hunter admits the past few months have been nerve-racking, but she is confident the hard work she and her peers put into the cafe will pay off.

“We’re all a little nervous, but we’re excited,” she said. “I think anyone who is opening a business like this would be nervous.”

Judi Eyles, program coordinator for the ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship and adviser to the learning community, is also optimistic about the success of the business.

“It has been just absolutely enjoyable to watch the students work on the project,” she said. “They have totally embraced it and are passionate about it.”