New Mars Cafe location to open in downtown Des Moines

Coffee fans, rejoice — Mars Cafe is expanding into a second retail location in downtown Des Moines.

Driving the news: The new 500-square-foot store will soon open in the skywalk inside the Greater Des Moines Partnership building at 700 Locust Street.

Details: Expect to see a menu similar to the cafe's original Drake location, as well as grab-and-go food for office workers on the run.

• "We want it to be a little bit of an oasis where if you've been at your desk all day and you need a little bit of a break, come grab coffee," said Kuuku Saah, who's opening the new spot with his business partner, Alec Davis.

Flashback: At the end of 2020, Saah purchased the original Mars Cafe location, as well as its downtown location in Capital Square.

• Saah ended up closing the Capital Square store as the pandemic reduced foot traffic downtown.

What he's saying: "We are starting see things pick up a little bit," Saah said.

• He said he's confident there's enough need for a local coffee shop in the downtown business district.

What's next: Expect doors to open in March or April.