2015 was an eventful year for us.
–June: we purchased Eats & Sweets Cafe, officially opening under our management on June 11th. You can read about the change in ownership HERE on DNAinfo.
–July: we welcomed sous chef Daniel Brenner to the team. Though we only had him for a short time, he was integral to our opening process.
–August: we taped the inaugural episode of Dark Night Live! at the cafe, a biweekly storytelling podcast featuring stories from local artists. Check out all our episodes HERE on Podomatic.
–September: we completed our first seasonal menu changeover and began offering fall favorites like old-fashioned oatmeal and a roasted root vegetable salad.
We also participated in Common Pantry annual fundraiser and Art Bash at the
Lillstreet Art Center.
–October: we welcomed our first trick-or-treaters!
Click to view slideshow.
–November: we sold turkey dinners for Thanksgiving, donating a full meal for every meal purchased. Some donated meals were given to Ravenswood Elementary families. Others were portioned and taken, with the help of our family, to neighbors living under the LSD overpasses at Montrose, Wilson, and Lawrence. Below are pictures of our family celebration at the cafe.
Click to view slideshow.
–December: we hosted our inaugural Pay-What-You-Can Holiday Dinner.
We fixed a lot of things.
-Since opening we’ve redecorated, installed a dishwasher, replaced the exhaust fan on our hood, purchased a flat-top and conveyor toaster to improve quality and speed of service, had our hallway temporarily retiled for safety (more improvements to come), and reconditioned the coolers.
We have so much to be thankful for.
-We hired three amazing baristas and one excellent line-cook-turned-sous-chef.
Click to view slideshow.-Our friends and family have been amazingly supportive.
Click to view slideshow.-The community has welcomed us and made us feel valued. And we got new neighbors!
Click to view slideshow.Here’s what we’re looking forward to in 2016!
-January: a Dolly Party Birthday Celebration and fundraiser to benefit Chicago Books to Women in Prison.
-February: unique Valentine’s Day cards offered in store and lots of house made sweets. Also a Valentine’s Day brunch on the 14th!
-March: festive St. Patrick’s Day food and pastries and, of course, a morning after brunch.
-May: a very special Mother’s Day tea.
And here are our plans for improvement.
-Completely redo the bathroom (we know it needs some serious love!)
-Install a new sound system
-Brand our awning
-Install a more reliable high speed network
-Add exterior lighting for safety
-Replace patio enclosure and furniture