After 11 years as a trolley cart, the Jitters coffee shop along the north side of Highway 56 in Baldwin City is soon to be no more. The change is not due to a lack in business but an increase in customers.

“Our business has doubled every year since we bought it,” owner Doris Sage said. Sage and her daughter Sara Castaneda have owned the business for five years after purchasing it from the original Jitter’s owner.

Jitters, a Baldwin City favorite, will move from this trolley cart to a storefront around the end of next year.

The increase in business is pushing the shop from its iconic cart into a sit-down business, across Highway 56 and down from its original location, which means it will be a shorter walk for Baker students. Although the decision is yet to be approved by the city, Sage and Castaneda expect the new location to be open toward the end of 2016.

“We had a couple opportunities that came up and those fell through, so those kind of put our plans on hold,” Castaneda said. “But end of next year is what we are hoping. We are excited to be on that side of the highway so we will be within walking distance of the students. Then they won’t have to cross the highway to have a place to come in and sit down, have plugins, wi-fi, and a place for class.”

The trolley cart, which was built in Oregon specifically to be a coffee shop, doesn’t offer the business room to grow with its expanding menu and offerings.

“It has been OK because it’s a drive-through, but we definitely feel like we blend in with our surroundings. I still have people come through, we’ve been here since 1999, and say ’Sara how long has this been here’,” Castaneda said. “Sometimes people just don’t know we are here.”

According to the owners, the move offers Jitters the opportunity to meet more customers’ needs and expand on its current menu, especially food.

“We do have a hard time letting the customer know what’s available because we are limited on space,” Sage said.

The owners say the continued growth in business over the past five years has come from the available options, consistency, and keeping up with trends. Both Sage and Castaneda believe the move offers them the opportunity to continue to do so.

However, the journey of Jitters’ growth has been challenged at times, especially with Baker University’s recent opening of a Starbucks on campus.

“It’s just so convenient,” Sage said. “And you guys (students) are all so busy. Starbucks is a big name.”

Castaneda said Jitters tries to differentiate its brand from Starbucks by being more personal with customers and using high quality coffee and syrups. Jitters also makes a point to stay visual to students by staying open later during mid-terms and finals week and offering student discounts for the Baker population.

“We’ve been fortunate enough to have an idea and keep it sustained. Some things are disappointing to begin with and they turn out not to be so bad,” Castaneda said. “The potential was here.”