A new coffee shop and bakery is in the works for West Jefferson Street, and the owners hope to attract people who work in the medical district and downtown area.

Chris and Amy Benad purchased 921 W. Jefferson St. and plan to demolish the former Family Dollar building in order to build Hae’s Bakery and Coffee Shoppe.

“We originally started with a bakery idea,” said Amy Benad. “We wanted to bring a simple bakery to town with cookies and pies, and we do everything nut-free.”

Amy Benad said she’s been running the bakery out of her house with a cottage food license. “I’m always busy, everything from birthday parties to office gatherings. I also sell my products at the First Sunday Midwest Bazaar.”

She decided to pursue a brick-and-mortar location, and a family member suggested combining the bakery with a coffee shop. “We went out to Seattle and found a roaster there, so we’ll be bringing it back to Springfield,” Amy Benad said.

Working in the health care field, she says she’s seen the demand first-hand. “As health care workers, we like our coffee, and there’s nothing close. Working in the medical district, I know the closest drive-thru coffee is at Chatham and Monroe.”

Chris Benad said Hae’s Bakery and Coffee Shoppe will offer both a drive-up and indoor seating. The bakery will sell cookies, cakes and pies, including pie by the slice. “A lot of people love homemade pies but they don’t want a whole pie, just a piece,” he explained.

The couple closed on the property Jan. 20 and the next step will be “tearing the whole building down,” said Chris Benad. He is serving as the construction manager, while Dave Steckel of Steckel Parker Architects is the project architect.

A September opening date is planned.