The Roast, a student-led coffee shop coming to College Hill this fall, wants to prove that students are willing to get their caffeine across the street.

The University of Northern Iowa students behind the start-up are selling hot chocolate and their Sumatra and Columbian roasts outside University Book and Supply every weekday from 7 a.m. to noon until finals week.

Nathan Wiemers, the project’s creator, said it’s a good opportunity to show there’s enough foot traffic for a profitable coffeehouse on the Hill.

“People have to realize that it’s available,” he said.

Wiemers said the booth outside the bookstore brought in roughly 50 to 60 customers in its first three days.

The Roast, which plans to open on the Hill in August, seeks to offer a unique, college-themed atmosphere in which students can socialize and study while drinking high-quality coffee.

“The huge opportunity — the void in the market of the meeting place on College Hill, it’s humongous, and people see that and want to be a part of that,” he said.

Joel Anderson, coordinator for the College Hill Partnership, said CHP was “excited” to have The Roast on the Hill because it will provide a place where students and community members can meet.

“There has been no true meeting place on the Hill,” he said. “… Political ideas can be discussed (at The Roast), study groups can be there, different community organizations can meet there.”

The students behind the coffee shop hosted a roast of Ian Goldsmith, UNI’s student body vice president, on March 26 to generate buzz for The Roast, and they’re currently talking to a general contractor who will inspect the building and provide an estimate of renovation costs.

Next week, The Roast plans to give members of the community a chance to help kick start the shop through the use of a crowd funding online service, through which students and community members can provide anywhere from $5 to $1,000 for the project.

“We need the community support, both (for) morale and financially.”