In the works for months, The Java Shop opened downtown this week.

The shop at  1567 Irving St. opened Monday, serving a limited menu of coffee, tea, pastries, breakfast and lunch sandwiches and salads, until a grand opening planned in three weeks. Hours of operation are weekdays from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.  and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to its Facebook page.

While it wasn’t the top choice in this 2012 poll we did about what readers would like to see downtown, a coffee shop was a close third (behind bakery/bagel shop and specialty food store).

Here’s to hoping The Java Shop fares better than its coffee shop predecessors, Kataluma Chai, Aromalicious, Cuppy’s, or Reggie’s Roast (for those who even further back, pre-blog). I’m looking forward to a visit soon, let us know what you think.