11/3/2009 10:15:02 AM

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By Tim Ruzek

Post-Bulletin, Austin MN 

A place once used for flipping burgers soon will be featuring baristas brewing coffee.

	What's happening: The former Hardee's building on 14th Street Northwest is being renovated for a new coffee shop called Gymocha. Menu items: Coffee, espresso drinks, smoothies, hot chocolate, sandwiches, soups and baked goods. Tentative opening date: Dec. 15.

Renovation work at the former Hardee's restaurant at 1300 14th St. N.W. has been happening for the past month for an upcoming coffee shop called Gymocha, owned by Cindy Pihlstrom and her husband, Russell, of Austin. The couple, who hope to open the business in December, finalized the purchase of the property Oct. 5 and have been working daily to renovate it.

"We're here a lot," Cindy Pihlstrom said Monday at the building, adding that the work has attracted quite a few curious people.

Plans for the business have been in the works for more than a year, Pihlstrom said, including the construction of tables and benches in the couple's garage.

Initially, the Pihlstroms, who have two children, wanted to build an addition in the building's south-side parking lot to offer an indoor playground, Pihlstrom said, which is why it's called Gymocha -- a combination of gymnasium and mocha. It's not part of the shop's current plans, she said, but the couple hope to offer an indoor playground in a couple of years.

Cindy Pihlstrom will oversee the coffee shop; her husband works at Hormel Foods Corp. They both love coffee, she said, and spent a lot of time at coffee shops while living in the Twin Cities.

As of now, the former Hardee's restaurant remains under major renovation work, with new flooring expected to go in this week.

The property had been up for sale the past year, since Hardee's closed in September 2008 after its owners chose not to renew the lease because of difficult economic times.

Aspects of the former fast-food restaurant will be incorporated into the coffee shop, including the drive-up window and an enclosed area for a meeting room, such as for study groups and book clubs, Pihlstrom said.

Hardee's former outdoor playground area is being turned into a a concrete patio that eventually will feature a pergola, or framework that supports climbing plants. The outdoor seating area is on the west side, facing 14th Street Northwest.

Pihlstrom said the couple chose the location because of its high amount of traffic and because it's across from Riverland Community College. They also hope to attract a lot of traffic from Interstate 90, just to the north.

Tentative hours are 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, with fewer hours on the weekend, Pihlstrom said. If it's still packed by 8 p.m., she said, the shop would stay open.

About five to 10 part-time workers, she said, might be hired for the business.

Various tables, benches, couches and leather chairs will be available for customers, she said.

Other features are expected to include a fireplace that can be seen from both sides, a platform area on the building's south-side for a floating bar area and other seating, and free wireless Internet, Pihlstrom said. Many electrical outlets are being added, she said, for people to plug in computers and other devices.

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