Construction is underway for a new, locally owned neighborhood café to open across the street from the Henry Vilas Zoo in April.

Madison locals and University of Wisconsin graduates Kate Zirbel and Bobby Shapiro own Café ZuZu. Zirbel and Shapiro said they hope it will be a place for neighborhood residents and UW students to enjoy.

“We love cafés and we love being at them,” Zirbel said. “I went all the way through graduate school [studying] in cafes.”

As the only commercial space in the neighborhood, Zirbel said they want to keep the café focused on the community.

“We really want this to enhance the community. We want people to feel welcome and comfortable,” Zirbel said.

According to Jim Glueck, architect of the project, the café’s design is essential to the business. The café is replacing a convenience store previously existing at the location. Instead of tearing down the building, it will be remodeled to fit the needs of the café.

“It’s going to have a complete facelift,” Glueck said. “It’s going to be the kind of place to hang out and feel cozy.”

The café will feature two sections. One section will focus on families and will have a toy area for children. The other section will have comfortable seating with a fireplace and wireless Internet for studying or relaxing, according to Glueck.

The café will seat approximately 40 people inside and an additional 20 people outside during the summer and spring seasons. Glueck said extensive landscaping will encourage patrons to sit at the outdoor seating area.

Since buying the property in October, Zirbel and Shapiro said they have spent much time envisioning the future café. After much consideration, the owners said they decided to keep the menu light. The café’s menu items will include coffees, teas, sandwiches, salads and pastries.

In addition, the café will sell convenience items such as bread, milk and cold drinks. Because the café replaced a convenience store, Zirbel said she would like to continue offering some of those items to the neighborhood.

When deciding upon a name for the café, the married couple looked to their 3-year-old son, Sam. Sam nicknamed his father’s car “zu zu” when learning to talk. Because the café will be located in the same neighborhood as the Henry Vilas Zoo, Zirbel said she believed it was a perfect name.

Samantha Milin, a UW junior, said she looks forward to the opening of the café. Milin said she believes students need more options for places to study and hang out with friends.

“I think cafés have the perfect atmosphere,” Milin said. “After hearing about Café ZuZu, I’ll definitely want to go there and check out the new spot.”

Zirbel and Shapiro look forward to the opening of the café and said they are excited for the future of their business.

“Everyone has been so supportive,” Zirbel said. “This has been an exciting adventure for us and different [from] anything we have ever done.”