About US

Cafe Luwak is more than just a coffee house. We sell high quality coffee and espresso drinks, but we also have some of the best sandwiches in Ypsilanti. Many of our customers have commented that our Reubens are the best they have ever had. We also serve hard packed Stroh's Ice Cream. We round out our services by providing catering specifically designed for office situations and casual events. Our sandwich wrap trays are favored by all of our customers.

Scroll down this page to find out all sorts of information about the cafe, its history, and anything else we felt like adding.

Location History

Cafe Luwak sits in a space that has been occupied by a number of businesses over the years. The previous restaurant was Schramm's Deli, Grill, and Catering which we purchased and turned into Cafe Luwak. Before that it was Tuckers Cafe owned by John Tucker, the grandson of Preston Tucker the inventor of the Tucker automobile. Prior to being Tuckers cafe, it was Millers Ice Cream. Most of our customers who have been long time residence of Ypsilanti, still call the location Millers even though it has been almost ten years since it carried that name.

About the Owner

Jim Karnopp purchased Schramm's Deli, Grill, and Catering from Frank Schramm in February of 2005 when Frank decided to retire from food service and pursue missionary work through his church. Jim had been a computer consultant for the previous 10 years working with fortune 500 companies and decided that he wanted to do something closer to home and be more involved with his son and the community. Jim's initial plan was to start a coffee shop, but when he found Schramm's Deli for sale on the internet he thought it would be a perfect fit. Being located in Depot Town, Ypsilanti was the perfect location as far as he was concerned. On February 7th, Jim took over the restaurant. He kept the menu pretty much the same and spent the first couple of months learning the business and getting to know the employees which he inherited with the business. After a couple of months, Jim started making the changes in the business that would make it his own. A number of the changes weren't noticeable by the customers except that they improved efficiency and customer service. Next he worked on the quality and consistency of the products that were served. Cafe Luwak began purchasing higher quality meats and cooking all the roast turkey, corned beef, roast beef, and barbeque beef at the restaurant. Once the quality of the food was brought up, Jim focused on getting the coffee portion of the business up to the same quality. He worked on training the staff on the proper methods of extracting espresso, foaming milk, and the overall presentation of the various drinks. Jim's focus from the very beginning has been to provide the highest quality and service possible to his customers. When you visit the cafe, chances are pretty good that you will see him either behind the counter or walking through the restaurant checking on customers no matter what time of day it is.

Number of days in business: 1298

What's a Luwak

Many of our customers assume that the name luwak is a family name, but in reality it is the Sumatran name for a Palm Civet. The Luwak is related to the weasel and the mongoose, and is known for perfume production and also the worlds most expensive coffee. Kopi Luwak is named for this animal because of its role in the production of the coffee. There is as little as 500 lbs of this coffee produced every year, and the price ranges anywhere from $300 to $500 per pound. Very little of this coffee ever makes it to the US. The majority of it ends up in the Asian market. Cafe Luwak was named after this animal because of the unique sounding name and the story behind it. So far we have never served the coffee, but the owner is on a waiting list for it from a distributor in New York.

Forrest (Mr. Mayor)

Being the son of a restaurant owner can be a tough thing for most kids, but Forrest adapted to it with incredible ease. It became obvious from the beginning that Forrest had a real advantage in this area. He has learned a lot about running a restaurant, but even more, he has a very social personality. If you ask any other merchant in Depot Town if they know Forrest, you will definitely hear a yes. During the Cruise Nights in the summer the guys who run the Miller Motors and Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum nominated Forrest as the unofficial mayor of Depot Town. Every week he would help with Cruise Nights, and he was involved with all the festivals. When you come into the restaurant on a hot summer evening don't be surprised to see Forrest scooping ice cream or running the cash register.

Our Staff

The employees of Cafe Luwak are an interesting mix of people. We concentrate on being customer focused, friendly, and to have a fun atmosphere for the employees and customers alike. We have a mix of students and long time locals who work here and each employee has a unique personality.