The Coffee Beanery in Bloomington is not permanently closed — despite a handwritten sign in the window that sparked rumors to the contrary. The shop plans to reopen in August, according to the owner.
The café at 228 S. Grant St. originally posted on Facebook that it was temporarily closed. But a sign that read “Shutting down, sorry” left some customers uncertain about whether the shop would return.
Owner Asra Khatoon said the closure was largely due to staffing issues and family conflict. Her son and his girlfriend had been managing the café and asked her not to be involved in daily operations.
“My son was the manager, and he had his girlfriend working with him,” she said. “They didn’t want my interference there, and they had hired only students. But when the university closed for break, all the students left — and then only the two of them were left.”
She said the two preferred to work the same shifts and often closed early or didn’t open at all, even though they were being paid on a salary wage.
The café opened on the first floor of a new residential building on the corner of East Third Street and Grant in October 2024. It is a franchise of the Coffee Beanery company, which began in 1976 and now has over 100 U.S. locations and 20 international stores.
“When we really got busy, we really got busy,” the owner said. “Kids would sit there all day long after school and do their homework. They enjoyed the food. The coffee is the best — I don’t think Bloomington has such coffee.”
She’s currently hiring both full-time staff and returning student workers. The café plans to reopen in August, just before IU’s fall semester begins.
She also plans to reverse her previous schedule — staying open later on weekdays and reducing hours on weekends.
“Before I had longer hours on weekends, shorter on weekdays,” she said. “Now I want to switch that. During the week, students will have homework and will come sit here — so I’ll do something like six to ten on weekdays, and shorter hours on weekends.”
Plans to add a Coldstone Creamery to part of the space are still moving forward, though no opening date has been set.
