Dave and Cori Tapp work with Linda Martin to smoothly transition ownership of Mika’s.

A popular coffee shop in Eureka has been sold to new owners, said current owner Linda Martin, who opened Mika’s Coffee House on Main Street almost ten years ago. Cori and Dave Tapp of Eureka will take over officially on May 1.

The Tapps plan to “keep everything the same, but add to it,” said Cori Tapp, who will bring family recipes to Mika’s menu of soups, sandwiches, and baked goods. “We love everything about Mika’s. We’re not changing it, but we’re excited to add to it.”
One change the Tapps will introduce is roasting their own coffee beans. Dave Tapp has roasted beans at home for some time, Cori said. They’re buying a commercial roaster and plan to roast beans for Mika’s in three different blends: a house, an espresso, and a decaf blend.

The shop is a favorite hangout that draws all ages, including elderly regulars in the mornings, a business lunch crowd, and students in the afternoons, who all love the welcoming atmosphere, cozy décor, good food, smoothies, and, of course, the coffee. Regular patrons come from Washington and even Peoria.

Martin will still work at the shop a few days a week, especially during the transition period, but her schedule will no longer include the 10-to-12-hour days she often puts in.

Martin had been wanting more time to be available for grandchildren, so when the Tapps emailed her in January to say they would be interested in buying the business if ever Martin decided to sell it, the timing seemed right.

The Tapps had been thinking about the business a long time. “We’ve always dreamed of having a coffee shop,” Cori Tapp said, “but we didn’t think it would happen that quickly.”

Having compatible buyers was important to Martin, who opened the shop to be “a resource for the community.” She wanted the coffee shop to continue in the same spirit in which she started it.

“I’ve always felt like it was God’s place,” Martin said. The shop is named for a young Haitian girl who came to the United States for heart surgery but died during her stay. According to Martin, the Tapps have “the same heart for the community” that she does.

“We really respect why Linda started” the shop, Cori Tapp said. “I love to serve people. It’s a passion of mine.”

Working in the shop will give Cori a chance to be “more involved in the community,” she said. The way the negotiations worked out was “a total God thing.”