Something Fresh is Happening!

So many women live in poverty, not because they lack abilities, but because they lack opportunity. Overflow is joining with Trades of Hope to give women around the world that opportunity for a better life. Each woman has a story, and with Trades of Hope's help, their story has changed from pain and struggle to a story of hope! We're excited to further these stories.

Here's a video sharing the story of one Trades of Hope artisan in Uganda:

Trades of Hope works with the artisans themselves and organizations that are helping women in difficult circumstances. Some women have been rescued from sex slavery. Others are raising handicapped children alone. Some are in war torn countries and others have aids and leprosy. These women have never had the chances we've had, yet they are just like us in so many ways. They love their families and hope and dream of a better life for them.

Here are the various ways you can make a purchase and give a gift to yourself or to a friend that also gives a gift to a woman in poverty and her community:

• Shop at Overflow the next time you're in.  We have select items available for direct purchase.
• Shop online at mytradesofhope.com/overflowcoffeebar.  All items are available and can be shipped to any address in the United States.
• Host a party with your friends.  More info here.   

In case you need some enticement, here's an online promo that starts soon:

Thank you for changing the world with us!

Why "The Quiet Workshop" Relates to Drinking Ethical Coffee

In partnership with Daystar Center, we're hosting The Quiet Workshop on Saturday, May 30, 2015.  The idea is that we spend the majority of our lives being stressed and busy.  What if we took 8 hours on 1 day to begin to address our stress and busyness?  Could we step out of the traffic, see how it feels, and perhaps incorporate some quiet into our every day lives?

What does this have to do with drinking coffee that's good for the farmers and the planet?

EVERYTHING.

• Both have to do with purposeful living (one of Overflow's values).  
• Both have to do with actually thinking about why we do what we do - from where we spend our money to how we spend our time.  
• Both are about the habits we build INTO our lives to help build UP our lives (and the lives of others).

If this seems up your alley, we invite you to check out the full details.  Register early for a $20 discount and to reserve your seat before it fills up.  Space is limited to 40 people so there's lots of value to the workshop.

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.

Click here to find out more and purchase your membership online!

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."

*

2014 Overflow Memberships Now Available! (and more)

Get 10% off everything you purchase from Overflow Coffee Bar with a 2014 Membership for only $50.00.

• The discount includes: food, drink, t-shirts, tumblers, fair trade gift items and more! The discount does not apply to catering orders since those are already discounted.  If you spend $10 a week or more on average at Overflow, a membership will pay for itself and then some over the course of the year. $10 is the equivalent of a small coffee each day Monday through Friday or a sandwich and latte on the weekend. It's also great for those who purchase coffee for brewing at home!
• Members also get extra perks that no one else receives. This includes: 
• VIP seating at documentary film screenings! 
• VIP access and discounts at our 3 Year Anniversary celebrations. 
• The card is valid from the time of purchase through December 31, 2014. 
• Only a limited number of cards are available. 
• A single membership is only valid for 1 person. No sharing. 
• To get your card, 
• Purchase it when you come into Overflow next.  Be ready to pay $50 via cash or credit.
• Purchase it online right now and we'll mail it to you.  Click here or use the button to the right.
• Overflow Membership makes a great gift.  If you’re interested in giving a membership as a gift, please note that when you're purchasing it. 
• If you have any questions, contact Amanda at amanda@overflowcoffeebar.org or (312) 772-2356. 

But wait there's more!  

If you purchase a membership, you might be curious to know what we're going to do with your $50.00.  We're doing some other fundraising too because here's what we'd love to do:

• If we reach 80 memberships (or raise $4,000 total), we'll be able to get outdoor patio seating for the Spring and Summer (pending a city permit).
• If we raise another $30,000, we'll be able to add a full-time "developer" position to take what we've created in starting up Overflow and keep it going and growing over time.  The "developer" will be charged with maintaining and expanding the awesomeness of Overflow.
• If we raise another $63,000, we'd be a lot more stable as a business.  Right now, if some unforeseen circumstance (like equipment failure) happened, it could cause us to go out of business.  With increased stability, we'll be able to look more toward increasing our impact locally and globally instead of worrying so much about making payroll.

Yes, we're shooting for the moon and hoping for the impossible.  We figure we'd rather put our hopes and dreams out there and see what happens.  Thanks to all of you who believe in us and want to see us not just stay in business but improve, grow and increase how much we change the world.

Click here to see our progress toward these dreams!

Celebrating 2 Years!

Can you believe it?!?  The time has gone by so fast.

We'll celebrate the completion of 2 years in business on March 18, 2013.  We're very excited about what's coming with our 3rd year and beyond!  Now that we have the basics of running a coffee shop down to (almost) a science, we're ready to start getting better and better.  We look forward to serving the South Loop for many, many years to come.

With Easter and Spring Breaks and such, we've decided to observe our 2 Year Anniversary on April 6.  As a special thank you to our loyal customers, we invite you to celebrate with us!

• Free piece of cake!  All day on Saturday, April 6 until it's gone.

• We're bringing back 2013 Overflow Membership Cards for a day on April 6.  They'll be the special price of $35 and give you 10% off your purchases through December 31, 2013.

• Drawings for prizes throughout the day on April 6!  When you come by, you can get your name entered into a drawing for a different prize each hour, on the hour.

A picture of our staff on the 1 Year Anniversary!

Insider's Guide to Overflow

Here are a five "insider" tips for making the best of your Overflow experience.

#1 We reward loyalty!  We're part of the FiveStars network.  Grab a FiveStars card when you come in and earn 1 point for every coffee/tea and 2 points per espresso drink.  Earn 9 points and you get a free coffee or tea.  Earn 18 points and you get a free espresso drink. Plus, earn Double Points Every Friday from 2:00 PM to 9:00 PM! You just have to remember to use your card.

#2 Refill Policy - FREE coffee refills when you buy an espresso drink.  50% off coffee refills when you buy coffee.

#3 Free Wi-Fi for customers.  We give you the password when you make your purchase.

#4 No Paper or Plastic Discounts - Pay cash and bring in your own mug or have your drink in a mug "for here" and get $0.20 off your drink's cost.

 #5 Stay Social - Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or join our mailing list.  We announce special events and deals, give away coupons and invite people to events this way.  Check out our Eventbrite page for a partial listing of upcoming events.

2013 Membership Cards Now Available!

This plastic, wallet-sized 2013 Membership Card costs $50.00. It gets you 10% off everything you purchase from Overflow Coffee Bar - including food, drinks, beans, t-shirts, and more! It even works on fair trade items from Ten Thousand Villages.  The only thing it doesn't work on is catering orders since those are already discounted. The savings starts immediately when you purchase the card and ends December 31, 2013. Only a limited number are available. Get yours before they run out! 

If you spend $10 a week or more on average at Overflow, this card will pay for itself and then some over the course of the year.  $10 is the equivalent of a small coffee each day Monday through Friday or a sandwich and latte on the weekend.  It's also great for those who purchase coffee for brewing at home!

NEW!  Members get VIP seating at monthly documentary film screenings!  Check out upcoming screenings at http://overflowcoffeebar.eventbrite.com.

May Your Holidays Overflow!

Some things to keep in mind for the holidays:

• Get a head start with Gift Cards! Put $10 on an Overflow gift card and get a free cup of coffee. Put $20 on one and get a free latte. For a limited time only. Ask for details when you come in. 
• Black Friday Sale! We'll be open from 7am to 3pm on Friday, November 23 (the day after Thanksgiving) and all products from Ten Thousand Villages will be 10% off all day long. Add some fair trade to your holidays. 
• Small Business Saturday Sale!  We'll be open our normal hours (8am to 6pm) and when you spend $25 and mention this blog post, we'll give you a free drink of your choice.  Shop local this holiday season.
• We've got a bunch of gift ideas ready for you and more to come! Check out our gift ideas here.

Heard of Giving Tuesday??? Check it out.

See you at the Bash on Wabash!

Overflow will have a booth at this year's Bash on Wabash, a street festival in South Loop.  We'll be spreading awareness about our mission to change the world one cup at a time and selling products from our new fair trade artisan store, South Loop t-shirts, and coffee beans.  Here are the details for this year's Bash:

Saturday and Sunday

August 25 and 26

11:30am to 10:00pm

on Wabash Avenue between 13th Street and 14th Place

Benefiting the Greater South Loop Association, this lively festival mirrors the South Loop’s vibrancy, offering something for everyone.  The theme is Sweet Corn Chicago.  Fresh roasted corn and beer and wine will be available.  There will be a kids’ area and a Corn Bags Tournament throughout the weekend.  To top it off, revelers will enjoy a variety of live music, including some of Chicago’s hot local acts.

More info and a music lineup at http://greatersouthloop.org/bash/.

As a special thanks for being loyal fans, mention coupon code "Cash-At-The-Bash" and we'll give you $5 off any purchase of $12 or more.

Best Deal We've Ever Offered!

Buy a membership card and an I <3 South Loop T-Shirt for $35.00.  Save $6.99 immediately and 10% for the rest of the year on all your purchases.

OR

Buy a membership card and a pound of coffee for $35.00.  Save $5 immediately and 10% for the rest of the year on all your purchases.

This deal ends when we close at 6pm on Saturday, June 30, 2012 or if we run out of membership cards. 

Come and get it!

I love South Loop TShirts!

Do you <3 the South Loop?  Show your neighborhood pride!

We have tan, light blue and white for adults (sizes S to 2XL). Plus, we have tan, light blue and light pink in kids sizes (sizes XS to L).  Stop by to check them out and pick one up for you and/or your child.  

A couple facts about these shirts

These shirts are made by Hanes.  On the Free 2 Work  website, Hanes gets an A- rating in terms of being slave labor free. Plus, they are made with up to 5% polyester created from recycled plastic bottles (Hanes calls this EcoSmart,)  We are not getting paid by Hanes to tell you this.  We just wanted to let you know where these shirts come from and why we chose them instead of some other brands.

Yes, We're Open During NATO

Beautiful weather means
   iced coffee,
      iced espresso drinks,
         iced tea and more
to quench your thirst and energize your spirit.

Come on by during our regular hours:

Saturday and Sunday 8am to 6pm
Monday through Friday 7am to 9pm

Mention you saw this post and get 10% off an iced drink.

NATO or not, we're here for you!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year... to Make a Difference

As the song goes, "It's the most wonderful time of the year!"  We wish you a great holiday season.

It just so happens this is one of the best times of the year to make a significant impact with how you choose to spend your money.

We're participating in Unwrap Chicago - a campaign to increase holiday spending at local businesses. Learn more and take the pledge to shift your spending to local businesses at www.unwrapchicago.org. Be sure to check out their Top 10 Reasons to Buy Local.  Instead of ordering your gifts online this year, why not take a walk around the South Loop!

As always your purchase at Overflow also makes a positive difference in the lives of farmers and for the environment.

Be sure to check out our Holiday Gift Ideas. Our NEW 2012 Membership Card keeps the giving going all year long.  It makes a great gift for yourself or for someone else. 

Daystar Center now registering for Fall Classes!

From one our friends in the building...

Rise and Shine with Daystar!

Convenient. Safe.  Economical. Practical. Fun.

When you wake up every morning, you have those expectations for your child’s activities for the day. Daystar Center provides such activities. 

• Daystar Center is conveniently located in the heart of the greater South Loop at 1550 S. State. along with Overflow Coffee Bar where you can also grab a great cup of coffee or some food.

• Daystar Center has a safe, clean environment in the same building as the Daystar School, a pre-K to 8^th grade private school.

• Daystar Center sets the pricing for classes and lessons at a competitive market rate.

• Daystar Center classes teach practical life skills like social aptitude, creativity, and cultural awareness in fun ways.  You child can learn
• a new language in an immersion setting,
• a musical instrument using Suzuki methods,
• theatre and story-telling skills through acting out fairytales, and
• social skills such as playing well with others

• Daystar Center is FUN!  You and your toddler can do yoga or learn a language together in a place with a scale and “feel” that’s great for kids.

Learn more at our Open House - August 20 from 10am to 1pm. 

For more information, including a schedule of classes, visit www.daystarcenter.org.  Have questions?  Call (312) 674-0001 or email info@daystarcenter.org. 

We recommend the playgroups.  Purchase a family pass and you get 10% off at Overflow during playgroup times.  :)

The Daystar Center is a 501(c)3 organization that provides professional development opportunities, offers educational and community programming, and facilitates collaboration among nonprofits at 1550 South State, in Chicago, and beyond.  The are a sister organization with Daystar School but are separate.

Catering Menu!

We finally got our catering menu together.  You can Download our Catering Menu here.

If you'd like, you can Download our Regular Menu here.

Insider's Guide to Overflow

THIS POST IS OUT OF DATE!  See the New Insider's Guide for current suggestions.

Here are a five "insider" tips for making the best of your Overflow experience.

#1 We reward loyalty!  Be sure to start one of our loyalty cards.  With espresso drinks, you get your 5th half off and your 10th FREE.  With coffee and tea, you get your 10th FREE.  You just have to remember to use it.

#2 Refill Policy - FREE coffee refills when you buy an espresso drink.  50% off coffee refills when you buy coffee.

#3 Free Wi-Fi for customers.  We give you the password when you make your purchase.

#4 Mug Discounts - Bring in your own mug or have your drink in a mug "for here" and get $0.20 off your drink's cost.  Purchase an Overflow tumbler and get $0.30 off your drink when you use it.

 #5 Social Media - Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or join our mailing list.  We announce special deals, give away coupons and invite people to events this way.

Photo of the Day: It's Official

It's official!  We have our business license!  We're opening Friday at 7am.  We'll stay open until 8pm.  Then, our hours will be:

Saturday 10am to 5pm
Sunday 10am to 3pm
Monday-Friday 7am to 6pm

Until...

Our Grand Opening Celebration on Friday April 1 starting at 7am!!!  We picked April Fool's Day to encourage people to stop fooling around with bad coffee or espresso - now that fairly-traded, environmentally-friendly, great-tasting coffee and espresso is available in heart of the South Loop! We couldn't be more serious.  Show your support and RSVP on Facebook.

Stop by to support us as we prepare for the Grand Opening.  Mention this post and get 10% off.  Our thanks for being a loyal supporter  :)

Less than 2 weeks for Guaranteed Delivery by December 25!

Just a friendly reminder to check out http://www.overflowcoffeebar.org/holiday.html for information about Overflow Holiday Gift Bags! 

Order by December 14 for guaranteed delivery by December 25.  That's 11 days from now so don't delay!

I thought you might also like some more information about the tea being offered for the holiday gift bags.  Our tea comes from Rishi Tea in Milwaukee, WI.  Rishi Tea offers award-winning, Organic and Fair Trade Certified loose leaf teas, fresh each season and direct from tea gardens around the world.  For all you tea lovers, we're sure you'll love how the blends we selected taste. 

Introducing: Overflow Holiday Gift Bags!

Support Overflow and give a gift that supports fair-labor and environmentally-sustainable practices!

CREATE YOUR OWN!  Select your own unique variety of coffee, tea, hot cocoa, chocolate and Overflow branded items.  You check off what you want in the bag and we'll put it together for you.  You can select one item, 5 of the items, or all the items, it's up to you.

First download the product descriptions HERE.

Then download the order form HERE.

Email us the order form and we'll send you an invoice within the next 48 hours.