Johnson County coffee chain Coffee Emporium rebrands as Midnight Coffee

A popular Johnson County coffee chain is rolling out a new name to match the dark roast it serves. Coffee Emporium, which has locations in North Liberty, Tiffin, Coralville and Iowa City, is rebranding as Midnight Coffee, a change co-owner Alex Nelson said was necessary to create cohesion with all the shops after purchasing the business last August.

“It just went through multiple different owners and a lot of different changes, and things have been kind of mismatched across all the shops,” he said. “I just (want) to bring them all in under one brand, make them similar across the board.” The name is also a reflection of Mr. Nelson’s other entrepreneurial endeavors. He and his wife, Jordan, own and operate wedding venue The Midnight Gem in Swisher and Little Gems Baby Boutique in North Liberty. Managing the wedding venue and boutique has given him a framework for the new undertaking which “definitely took it up a notch,” he said. “It’s for sure helped us kind of hit the ground running more here than before.”

Customers who walk through Midnight Coffee’s doors will notice the shops have a darker, moodier ambiance with a contemporary feel that incorporates elements celebrating the city. For the Iowa City location, Mr. Nelson hired a local artist to paint a mural, which features the Old Capitol building.

Local partnerships emphasized

Emphasizing local connections is part of Midnight Coffee’s goal of creating a community-focused coffee shop, Mr. Nelson said. “We really are focusing on partnering with local vendors, kind of that community aspect, something that a lot of other coffee chains aren't doing,” he said. Customers enjoying a blueberry scone can pay compliments to The Eat Shop, which has locations in Solon and Marion. Dairy products are sourced from Dan and Debbie’s Creamery in Ely, and Andy’s Pastry Shop in Tiffin supplies Midnight Coffee with vegan and gluten-free options. Keeping it local also means giving back to the community, Mr. Nelson added. “We do a ton of fundraiser events down in Iowa City with all the sororities and other local groups, where we donate back a percentage of sales, things like that,” he said. “So really highlighting that, and more events kind of get everyone involved, getting more people in the door.”

Mr. Nelson hopes the rebrand will highlight the quality of their coffee, as well. “We can pull from multiple roasters if needed, offering different blends and higher quality coffee than what you might find at some of the bigger chains, all while focusing on consistency and quality across the board,” he said, noting that they are still partnering with North Liberty-based Capanna Coffee Roasters, which Coffee Emporium purchased in September 2023 under previous owner Abby Ochs.

New menu offered with rebrand

While the coffee offerings will stay much the same, Midnight Coffee is rolling out new food items to tempt the palate. In addition to pastries, the menu will offer a new “brisket sammy” that will feature smoked brisket, egg, avocado and barbeque aioli on a ciabatta bun, as well as other selections that are still being developed. The new menu will roll out March 29, Mr. Nelson said. “We are coming out with a whole new food menu, so all new sandwiches will be launched with the rebrand,” he said, adding that they don’t offer a lot of food options at the current moment. “We've been working on that for quite a few months.” Joining the current beverage menu will be signature drinks such as a lavender honey latte, pistachio matcha, a maple chai, “and then we'll do kind of our own spin, like a caramel vanilla latte, which is similar to a caramel macchiato at Starbucks,” Mr. Nelson said, adding that the stores will also implement a happy hour from two p.m. until closing.

More than just a coffee shop

Mr. Nelson emphasized that he wants customers to experience more than just the aroma of coffee beans and baked goods when walking through the doors of Midnight Coffee. “I want them to feel like we're a part of the community, and a nice, clean, modern place they can go to to either meet someone for coffee, or come here to study and work,” he said. “Have events or bridal showers, baby showers, those kinds of things – really just a functional space…so, just something everyone feels comfortable coming into.” Even though the name is changing, there are some things that will remain the same, Mr. Nelson noted. “We’re changing the name, (but) keeping the same coffee. We really want to keep our regulars happy…but also introduce some new things that haven't been changed around here for a while,” he said. “We're local, we’re from the area, and we care about this area.” Midnight Coffee can be found at the following locations:

• Iowa City: 301 E. Market St.
• Coralville: 925 E. Second Ave.
• Tiffin: 1100 Anderson Place, Unit 500
• North Liberty: 710 Pacha Parkway, Unit 6

Midnight Coffee signs will replace those of Coffee Emporium on March 28, with the official rebrand launch scheduled for March 29.