click to enlarge Courtesy Of Kru Coffee

Kru Coffee latte

Church Street Marketplace will get a new coffee shop early next year when Kru Coffee launches a Burlington location at 2 Church Street, co-owner Kyle Brock said.

The family-run business, based in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., will occupy the first floor of the building at the corner of Church and Pearl streets. The café will serve espresso drinks and drip coffee made from beans that Kru roasts in Saratoga Springs, Brock said. Two varieties of drip coffee will be ready to go, while pour-over options will be made to order; cold-brew coffee and hot teas will also be available. Breakfast sandwiches will be made in a new kitchen, part of the space's ongoing renovation.

The 60-seat café, to be open daily, will have various seating options, including places for people to work on their laptops or gather for small meetings. "It will be a nice place to meet and have a conversation," Brock said.

Kru Coffee was founded in 2016 by husband-and-wife team Kyle and Kristi Brock and Kristi's brother, Ryan Miller. Another sibling of Kristi and Ryan, Lisa Weber, will manage the Burlington café with her husband, Tommy, Kyle said. The Webers are moving to Vermont from Vail, Colo., to run the coffee shop, in which they have an ownership stake, Kyle added.

Kyle said several factors figured into the decision to open a Burlington café, including a "strong partnership" with Healthy Living Market & Café, which sells Kru coffee beans and coffee drinks at its stores in South Burlington and Saratoga Springs.

"They're an awesome company, and we're very happy they're coming," said Nina Lesser-Goldsmith, chief operating officer of Healthy Living. "They have a great product, and they've been a really good partner."

The arrival of Kru Coffee coincides with the imminent closing of another coffee shop, Uncommon Grounds, after 25 years on Church Street. Vintage Photography Emporium, the most recent occupant of the spot that Kru will fill, has moved its business downstairs in the same building.