Leamington is moving ahead with Brew on the 42, a two-year pilot coffee shop that will operate from a purpose-built shipping container at the waterfront along Lake Erie.
The municipally operated project is meant to bring consistent activity to the Waterfront Market Plaza and support other vendors and programming in the space.
Speaking on AM800's The Kyle Horner Show, Mayor Hilda MacDonald said the project is about creating a welcoming space.
"Since we've started developing the waterfront and making it a more inviting space, a lot of our residents go down there every day, every weekend," she said.
It's become a wonderful spot to visit other folks, to get some exercise, to catch some rays, and to listen to music."
The municipality expects start-up costs of about $186,000, with a provincial grant covering roughly $50,000. The remaining share will be covered through the Waterfront Redevelopment Reserve.
Council awarded a $125,000 contract to Twist Creative Studio to build the container unit.
MacDonald said the hope is to have other vendors join them in the future.
"The money is to get the shipping container and outfit it so it looks classy, it looks likes inviting and then hopefully we set a standard that other vendors, other food trucks will come with that same look," said MacDonald.
She said the pilot will help gather data.
"What are our busy times, what are the busy days so that then other people will consider coming down there," she said.
Brew on the 42 is expected to open this summer and run through mid-October.
Next year, operations are expected from mid-May until mid-October.