The Blue Bottle is having an open house all day Friday to celebrate its expansion.
With more space and items on the restaurant's menu, owner Tom Green said he expects to attract more costumers than the regular coffee crowd.
Green added lunch, dinner, wine and beer to the menu shortly after he bought the Blue Bottle from its previous owner. He has been planning an expansion since a year and a half ago.
"We didn't make many changes on the coffee, we concentrated on the food," he said. "We have a good coffee crowd interested in food."
The Blue Bottle is adding the space from a building next door, increasing available seating by 140 percent. The coffee shop will also include a room which will be used for private meetings and reserved parties.
Green said there are already several reservations for December.
"We have always wanted to be more responsive to our regular costumers, including Ball State students," Green said.
Andrew Porter, general manager and executive chef of the Blue Bottle, said the new menu will have small appetizers, salads, selected sandwiches, desserts and five main entrees. The coffee shop will also have full-service breakfast and seasonal specials each week.
Porter said prices will range between $8 and $15. Specials might be more expensive, but not more than $20, he said.
Since annexing lunch and dinner to the menu, the Blue Bottle has made sure to use local products.
"The shop has changed much in the food; we are working on bringing local quality food," he said. "We are working hard, making sure clients are being taken care of."
Green said most of the products will come from the county or surrounding counties.
"We expect to add more items to the menu, continually evolving," he said. "American food is a melting pot of foods from around the world."
The Blue Bottle will also have a larger staff, with an experienced member assigned to each area.
"The bartender and manager has extensive experience on fine cuisine, our sous-chef has a good, solid background too," Green said. "Muncie is fortunate; most restaurants here have people with great knowledge in their area."
Tom Steiner and his wife, the original owners, opened the Blue Bottle in 2001. The coffee shop was originally located where the current CBX Bookstore is. Green bought the shop in 2007 and moved it to downtown Muncie.
Green said the restaurant's expansion is just one more step in his career.
"Like any other entrepreneur, I hope for success, good response from costumers and good reviews," he said. "I am optimistic, but always cautious."
The menus will include food that might be well-known but also something different for the community, Green said.
"I want to give something to the people from Muncie who might not have the opportunity to try something from outside, because they might not be able to afford it at other places," he said.
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