A Niles couple is in the process transforming a once-vacant downtown storefront into a coffee shop.

Wendy Halder said she and her husband, Eric, plan to open Top Heavy Coffee at 205 E. Main Street sometime in the first quarter of the year.

“We will open as soon as it is ready,” she said.

The business will feature several coffee options including an espresso bar and slow bar, featuring manual brew methods, including Chemex and V60.

A family friend, Tommy Panigot, is developing the store’s coffee program, Wendy said.

The coffee will come from MadCap Coffee’s award winning roasts out of Grand Rapids.

Wendy said they plan to offer teas and pastries as well.

Top Heavy Coffee will be located at the site of the former Cutting Edge swap shop, which opened in May of 2013, but closed only a couple months later.

Wendy said they chose the building because it was the perfect size for what they are planning to do. She also said they wanted to be part of the downtown business district.

The Halders also looked at the Niles Corner Building on Second and Main streets, but said it was too large for them.