2015 Individual Overflow Membership - Join the Movement!

Support local, independent business...

Make a positive difference with your purchasing power...

Be part of a growing community of world changers...

All without tracking points, punching cards, or earning stars (whatever that means).

Overflow Membership is a straight-forward 10% discount program for your favorite coffee, tea, pastry, sandwich, fair trade gift item, and more!

Minimal hassle for 10% off every purchase, all year long.



Top 10 Things For Which Overflow is Thankful in 2014


10. Our location.  Many aren't aware but behind-the-scenes there's been a renewed sense of working together with a few of our neighbors at 1550 S. State.  One example is that we're now providing lunches for some students at Daystar School.  The kids get healthy lunches and we get some increased revenue.

9. Our neighborhood.  The South Loop continues to grow and nurture more and more businesses, which means more residents stay in the area and others come to the neighborhood.  We're excited to see where the future takes all of us.

8. Our roaster.  Ipsento continues to do a great job and roast quality tasting and ethical coffee.  We love to drink it and are proud to serve it to you!

7. Our baker.  Delightful Pastries keeps delivering excellent and ethical pastries.  We love to eat the non-GMO wheat, real butter, easy sugar, and locally-grown ingredients.  We might love it too much.

6. Cash.  We're thankful when people use it to pay instead of plastic.

5. Our neighbor local, small businesses.  There are too many to name but they give us places to go and "Eat, Drink, Buy Local!"

4. Our partners.  We love the Greater South Loop Association and the Daystar Center and the added value they bring to Overflow!

3.Our team of baristas.  "Teamwork makes the dreamwork."  We're thankful for Justin, Mark, Dan, Caleb, David, and Dustin.*

2. Our customers.  YOU are the life breath of Overflow.  We wouldn't exist without YOU!

1. The magic that happens when customers, baristas, and our partners all work together, embracing their diversity and their similarities, to change the world one cup at a time.  Let's call that magic "True Community."



*If you know any females with barista experience, we love to have more ladies on the team.  ;-)

This Month at Overflow! 5.2014

Presented by Overflow

27 - Buyer Be Fair Documentary Film Screening & Discussion @ 7pm - More info here.

Presented by Daystar Center

10 - Chicago Solo Theatre @ 7:30pm - More info here.

13 - Chicago Film Club screens Hitchcock's Rebecca @ 6:30pm - More info here.

15 & 17 - Jazz Vocalist (& South Loop Resident) Sabina & Visual Artists Jeremy & Jordan @ 7pm - More info here.

Other Community Activities

12 - South Loop Toastmasters Meeting @ 6:15pm - More info here.

17 - Greater South Loop Association Community Meeting @ 9am - More info here.

See and Hear Barista Mark Perform

We all know how baristas are often artists who count on their barista work for stable income while they pursue their art endeavors.  It just so happens that one of your favorite Overflow baristas is a guitarist with exceptional skill and resume.  Here's a run down:

Mark Anderson (Chicago native, Code name: "RogerTango")

  • Masters in Classical Guitar Performance at San Francisco Conservatory of Music
  • Adjunct Professor of Guitar at Illinois Wesleyan University
  • Guitar Instructor at The Academy of Movement and Music in Oak Park
  • Performed the U.S. premier of “Rising Spirals” by award winning composer Chinary Ung

In his cover letter to apply at Overflow, Mark wrote,
"As a musician, I have learned to appreciate the full aesthetic of everything I engage in. Coffee is not a drink, it is an experience that I can create and share with a customer."  

You can see why we hired him.  Now, as part of the Daystar Center concert series, come see and hear him perform along with Necati Emirzade.  Together, they make Duo Tandem.  In addition, Zach Lehner will be displaying art before/after and creating live art during the performance.

Here are the details:

Thursday, April 17 and Saturday, April 19 (same show both dates)
7:00pm - two 45 minute sets with an intermission
General Admission: $20, includes gourmet appetizers
Bring your own beer or wine or purchase a beverage from Overflow.
Advance tickets are encouraged.  You can get them here.

Still not convinced to come???  Hear some samples of their work here.


Celebrate Earth Day at Overflow!


April 22, 2014 (Earth Day!)
7:00 - 9:00pm
Film Screening and Discussion
RSVP here.


Film Description

A Fierce Green Fire: The Battle For a Living Planet is the first big-picture exploration of the environmental movement - grassroots and global activism spanning fifty years from conservation to climate change. From halting dams in the Grand Canyon to battling 20,000 tons of toxic waste at Love Canal; from Greenpeace saving the whales to Chico Mendes and the rubbertappers saving the Amazon; from climate change to the promise of transforming our civilization... the film tells vivid stories about people fighting - and succeeding - against enormous odds.

The film is divided into five "acts".

Act 1 focuses on the conservation movement of the `60s, David Brower and the Sierra Club's battle to halt dams in the Grand Canyon. Narrated by Robert Redford.

Act 2 looks at the new environmental movement of the `70s with its emphasis on pollution, focusing on the battle led by Lois Gibbs over Love Canal. Narrated by Ashley Judd.

Act 3 is about alternative ecology strands and the main story is Greenpeace's campaign to save the whales. Narrated by Van Jones.

Act 4 explores global resource issues and crises of the `80s, focusing on the struggle to save the Amazon led by Chico Mendes and the rubber tappers. Narrated by Isabel Allende.

Act 5 concerns climate change. Narrated by Meryl Streep.

Run Time: 101 minutes.  Discussion will end around 9pm.


Watch the trailer at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc40_9tVUao.


"Rarely do environmental-themed films come with the ambitious scope of 'A Fierce Green Fire: The Battle for a Living Planet'which aims at nothing less than the history of environmentalism itself."  -Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times

Raffle Prizes for this Saturday's 3 Year Anniversary Festivities

In case you've been hiding under a rock and haven't heard, we're celebrating 3 years this Saturday, March 29.  There's free cake from 8am to 6pm.  Then, there's a big party at 7pm (ADVANCE TICKETS REQUIRED).  Read more at this previous blog posting.

In the meantime, here are some teasers for the raffle prizes we're giving away.  Stop on by and you could win big!

From Overflow Coffee Bar

From Local, Small Businesses
From Overflow's favorite customers (you're all our favorites)
  • Two 60 Minute Webinars + Three 30 Minute Individual Coaching Sessions ($175 Value) from Howard Fox with Fox Coaching, Inc
  • 2 Women's History Month Prints from artist Sarah Viktora of Influx Designs
  • 2 Financial Coaching Packs (includes 1 counseling session and a prepared comprehensive financial plan) from Mark Willis of Lake Growth Financial Services 
  • SEO Overview, Design Analysis, Landing Page Design, and Email Setup ($350 Value) from Jeff Beckham with Black Box Creative
There are also some giveaways from BMO Harris Bank.

Remember this is just a teaser... there will be more than what's listed here!

It's been a rough winter for small businesses, get out there and support your neighborhood!

*** Special thanks to Weather Mark Tavern for donating local beer for the party at 7pm! ***

Announcing: CSA at Overflow!

We're partnering with Nichols Farm & Orchard in Marengo, Illinois to bring you fresh, local fruits and vegetables this summer and fall.  

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.  It's about relationship.  You get local, fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables while building a relationship with a local farmer (in this case the Nichols family).  

You can sign up online and then pick up your food here at Overflow.  Easy, convenient, and affordable.


Full disclosure: Overflow is not getting paid to host this CSA. We might receive a box of fruits and veggies to split among the staff. People who come to pick up their food might make a purchase from Overflow. We're not sure what might happen. Primarily, we're doing this because it's the right thing to do.

Celebrating 3 Years!

March 29, 2013 

8am to 6pm - Free Cake*!  Raffle Prizes!

*while supplies last

7pm to 9pm - Coffee Tasting!  Speed Networking!  Impact Sharing!

Advance tickets required.  Purchase at http://overflow3years.bpt.me.

Special Guests Include:

Marc J. Lane  - Mr. Lane is seen as one of the chief authorities on L3C.  Overflow is an L3C.  He is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Northwestern University School of Law, where he has taught courses in entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial finance and where he currently teaches the Social Enterprise course. He is Chairman of the State of Illinois’ Task Force on Social Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Enterprise.


Tim Taylor - Mr. Taylor owns Ipsento, an award-winning, direct-trade roaster and coffee shop in Bucktown.  He is Overflow’s roaster.  He has worked in virtually every role imaginable in specialty coffee - including green coffee buyer and Cup of Excellence judge.


#Overflow3Years

It's also Daystar Center's 3 Year Anniversary so they'll be involved in these festivities as well!  As they say, "Gather.  Connect.  Grow."
*

This Month at Overflow (February 2014)

Some great events going on this month!  Hope to see you at one of them.  

February 8: Chicago Solo Theatre "Solo Saturdays"@ 7:30pm (for adults, sponsored by Daystar Center)
February 11:  Bringing Up Baby Film Club Screening and Discussion @ 6:30pm (for adults, sponsored by Daystar Center)
February 14: V-Day Fit4Mom Stroller Strides Workout @ 11am (for moms and kids, sponsored by Fit4Mom Chicago)
February 20 and 22: ActYourAge! with Beth Urech @ 7pm  (for everyone, sponsored by Daystar Center)
February 25: Rising From Ashes Documentary Screening and Discussion
with @ 7:00pm (for everyone, sponsored by Overflow Coffee Bar)

This Month at Overflow 1.2014

Craft Kickoff with Traffick Free - Jan 11 @ 2:00pm - kickoff National Human Trafficking Awareness Month with a craft and hot cocoa!

Chicago Solo Theatre "Solo Saturdays" - Jan 11 @ 7:30pm - laugh till you cry with this part stand-up, part storytelling, part monologue, all truth!

The Awful Truth Classic Film Club Screening and Discussion - Jan 14 @ 6:30pm - an absolute gem

Greater South Loop Association Community Updates - Jan25 9:00am - find out what's up in the neighborhood

Camp Kupugani Fest - Jan 25 @ 4:00pm - learn about a cool place for your kid to visit this summer

The Wisdom to Survive Documentary Screening and Discussion - Jan 28 @ 7:00pm - learn about and discuss climate change, capitalism, and community


Did you know?

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

Our friends at Traffick Free are hosting a month long series of events.

Labor trafficking is one of the forms of human trafficking and something we're pretty passionate about.  Direct and fair trade are two of the efforts to end labor trafficking and the exploitation of workers, adult and child around the world.  That's why we use direct trade and fair trade products as much as possible.


How can you celebrate this month?
  • Consider going to Traffick Free's Craft Kickoff here at Overflow to learn more about trafficking in Chicagoland.
  • Continue to change the world one cup at a time here at Overflow.  Every purchase matters!
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