Thoughts on Our 4 Year Anniversary

Today marks 4 years since we opened to the public on March 18, 2011.  In case you're wondering, the day after St. Patrick's Day is most definitely a great day to open a coffee shop, at least in Chicago.  I'm sure you can imagine why.

The past 4 years have had their ups and downs.


We knew when we chose the South Loop neighborhood that we had an uphill battle in front of us.  The South Loop just doesn't have the population density of other neighborhoods. Plus, it is still perceived as "scary" by some who live north of us so they don't visit for eating, drinking, or shopping.  Even more-so in 2011 than in 2015.

We were, are, and will be willing to fight this uphill battle because we believe the long term benefit will be worth it.  We envision that, if we put in the effort at the beginning when small businesses around us was somewhat scarce, we'd become a neighborhood institution.  Even if lots of competition opened up later, we hope we'll be so ingrained in the South Loop that no one could compete with our South Loop neighborhoodliness.  Besides, the more direct trade coffee being consumed the better!

Did we accomplish this vision?  Hard to tell.  But I think that, if we were gone, we'd be missed by lots of folks.

So, what got us through the past 4 years?  In a word, perseverance.  Even when the going got tough, we pushed through.  We tightened our belts.  We put in long hours.  We never gave up or backed down.  We went through the pits of despair and kept our hope alive.  We won't bore you with all the details but I can tell you I wouldn't want to live through it again.  I would add that we didn't persevere alone.  There were lots of friends, family, loyal customers who stood with us and helped us when we couldn't keep going on our own.

What's next? We're close to becoming profitable and then the sky is the limit.  We've got some great ideas along the lines of Placemaking, a real South Loop Chamber of Commerce, franchising, and further mentoring/coaching of others who want to start coffee shops of their own.  There's still a lot of slavery in the world as people produce coffee, clothing, flowers, sugar, etc.  There is still lots of work to do and we're not giving up anytime soon.  Face it.  You're stuck with us.  :-)

Support our mission. 

Give a birthday gift. 

Join the movement of people committed to changing the world through our purchasing power, time, and talents.  

Click here.

How to get FREE Coffee

In addition to general Overflow Membership (see the last post), we also have extra special memberships that make you coffee FREE!

Coffee-lover Membership

• Cost: $1,000
• Benefits:
• Free Large Coffee Every Day for 1 Year
• All benefits of general Overflow Membership until 12/31/2016

Overflow Patron 

• Cost: $10,000
• Benefits:
• Free Brewed Coffee for Life!
• All benefits of general Overflow Membership until 12/31/2018

You can become a Coffee-lover or an Overflow Patron the next time you stop by or by using the buttons to the right on your screen.  

Don't like these options… we're open to suggestions.  Just let us know what you'd like to do to help us "take it to the next level" and continue to brew coffee that not only tastes good but feels good too.

Want to know how we'd use your money?  Check out the last post.

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!

Celebrate Earth Day @ Overflow!

Within Reach Film Screening

Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 7:00 pm

in partnership with the Alliance for a Greener South Loop.  

About the Film

Mandy and Ryan have given up their corporate jobs and their traditional houses to "bike-pack" thousands of miles around the USA, looking around as they look within.

Their journey and their film has answered the question that they and many others are asking: Is it possible for all of us to live in a sustainable way? After circling the country, and talking with over 20,000 people they have found that not only is it possible but its already underway...

Watch the Trailer.

RSVP.

The Alliance for a Greener South Loop is works to make the South Loop a greener place to live, work, and play. South Loop individuals, businesses, buildings, institutions, and city agencies work together so that we all “tread more lightly.”

Transit/Parking - While we encourage the use of public transit (Red Line, #29, #62 and other buses are close), limited parking is available in the rear of the building on a first come first served basis. Bring $3 for your spot. No one will be in the lot to take it. You can pay at the ticket check-in table.

A great reason to RSVP above: We'll put all the pre-registration names in a hat and draw a special prize for 1 lucky RSVPer. You must pre-register and be present at the film to win.

Yes, we know this is the day after Earth Day.  Better late than never.  :)

We're Looking For: NONPROFITS!

We feature a different nonprofit each month and are putting together our line-up for 2013.  If you know of a local nonprofit we should support,  make a suggestion via this form.  If you work or volunteer for a nonprofit and would like to talk about partnership opportunities, use the same form.

We're always on the look out for nonprofits with which we can partner.  Please share a nonprofit you know of or at which you volunteer or work.  We only work with nonprofits who are active in the South Loop or nearby Chicago neighborhoods.

One of the South Loop nonprofit activities we support is the South Loop Food Pantry!

October's Featured Nonprofit: South Loop Food Pantry

In August, we launched our new fair trade store in partnership with Ten Thousand Villages.  Each month, we're giving 5% of the gross sales to a different nonprofit.  Because of September's sales, we are able to give $32.02 to Chicago Fair Trade.  That doesn't sound like a lot, but with the film screening proceeds going to them as well, they are receiving $65.57.  That bigger than we were able to do in August so let's see if we can keep the trend going and beat that amount this month.  Here's who will be receiving October's 5%...

The South Loop Food Pantry at South Loop Community Church is a member agent of the Greater Chicago Food Depository.  They launched this year and are already serving 40 plus families per week at their Saturday distributions.

I (Amanda) used to volunteer at another food pantry on the north side. While volunteering there I learned that the families who depend on food from the pantry are especially in need at Thanksgiving.  The week before Thanksgiving, there were lots of families who showed up at the pantry needing food.  Partially, they wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving just like the rest of us but also their kids were out of school and they were losing a day of work, etc.  Several factors made it very important to get some food to put on their tables.

During the season from Thanksgiving through New Year's, there are lots of people and organizations that help those living in poverty in our communities but not very many before Thanksgiving.  We were thinking about this and decided that we should use our giving in October to be ready to help in November.  Thus, the 5% we're giving to the South Loop Food Pantry will go toward distributing extra food on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

If you'd like to help more than with your purchases from our Ten Thousand Villages store, please visit the food pantry's website for information.  You can also drop off non-perishable food items the next time you stop by Overflow for your cup of coffee or croissant.

September's Featured Nonprofit: Chicago Fair Trade

Last month, we launched our new fair trade store in partnership with Ten Thousand Villages.  Each month, we're giving 5% of the gross sales to a different nonprofit.  Because of August's sales, we are able to give $44.99 to the Greater South Loop Association.  That doesn't sound like a lot, but it's a good start.  We can definitely see this going up from here.  Which brings us to announcing who will be receiving September's 5%...

Chicago Fair Trade was formed in June, 2006 with 24 organizations as founding members. CFT is a coalition of businesses, faith based organizations, non-profits, student groups at universities, and individuals. CFT has offices in Printer's Row and works throughout the metro area to increase support for fair trade through education, advocacy and targeted consumer compaigns. CFT currently has 70 member organizations. It holds 4 community-wide meetings a year and celebrates World Fair Trade Day in Daley Plaza with a festival.  Thanks to CFT's efforts, Chicago has been designated as a Fair Trade City as of May 2011.

Chicago Fair Trade is also facilitating the discussion at our monthly documentary screening on September 27.  Click here for more information.

For more information about Ten Thousand Villages at Overflow, please contact Amanda at amanda@overflowcoffeebar.org.  Ten Thousand Villages products will be available in our cafe on Saturdays from 8:00am to 6:00pm.  As sales increase, we'll add new hours.

Big News

Watch this video for the big news first!

If you're inspired to help us make an even bigger impact, click here! 

(no gift is too small or too big)

FYI, during our 1 Year Anniversary Celebrations we raised about $1,000 

so I decreased the $20,000 goal by $1,000.

Sneak Peak of Art Gallery/Auction

Here's a sneak peak of the Art Gallery and Silent Auction taking place tomorrow (Saturday, March 31) starting at 1pm.  Stop by to check out the local art!  You might just find something you want to bid on.  :)

Money raised from the auction is split between the artist and paying off Overflow's debt.  We've got some BIG plans for our 2nd year that the money will go to fund. More details coming soon (or hear them by purchasing a ticket to Coffee Tasting & Speed Networking)!

 

 

Food Pantry Drop Off

A food pantry operated at South Loop Community Church (1347 S. State Street) has just been adopted into the Chicago Food Depository.  With the adoption they must go from monthly to weekly operation.  They need more resources to meet more demand.  Thus, we are now a drop-off location for donations of dry and canned foods.  Clean out your pantry, fill our bin and feed the hungry!

Extreme Poverty and Coffee

Extreme Poverty has a definition: living on less than 1.25 dollars US a day.

In 2000, 189 world leaders at the United Nations Millennium Summit made a promise and some goals. 

Goal #1 is to END HUNGER & EXTREME POVERTY through these objectives:

1. Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than one dollar a day.
2. Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people.
3. Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger.

How does this connect with the coffee industry?

The 25 million small coffee farmers world-wide often live in poverty or extreme poverty.  Many of their neighbors do too. Coffee accounts for billions of dollars of export income for some of the world's poorest countries.


Paying coffee farmers a more than fair wage for their coffee is a step toward ending poverty for them.  Plus, they buy from their neighbors' business or farm and thereby help end poverty for the entire community.

Here's an example for you.  The Guatemalan coffee we use puts at least* $1.72 per pound of green coffee in the farmers' hands (his name is Edwin if you're wondering).  Our roaster buys 10,000 lbs of coffee from Edwin.  So, the farmer gets at least* $17,200 from the sale of his coffee.  Which gives him and his family over $47 per day to live on.

Compare that with many farmers who end up selling their coffee to "coyotes" who pay them way less than the C market rate (this rate fluctuates daily and widely over time).  Farmers who sell to "coyotes" can get as little as 50 cents per pound.  50 cents per pound for a 3000-pound crop would mean a family lives on $4.11 per day.  For a family of four that's way less than the $1.25 extreme poverty definition.

Do you Give a Damn?  Want to talk to some filmmakers who Give a Damn?  Check out overflowfilm.eventbrite.com for more information about an upcoming documentary film screening.

*It's a little more complicated because Edwin gets $4 per pound since he secured the coffee from farm to "free for export" (FOB).  After covering the costs of transportation and exportation fees, he gets at least $1.72.

Give A Damn? Documentary Screening

Join the filmmakers, Overflow Coffee Bar, and Vineyard South Loop for a screening of Give A Damn? on February 23 at 7:00pm.  Reserve your ticket at overflowfilm.eventbrite.com. 

Give A Damn? is a feature length documentary three friends, two idealistic activists and one skeptic, attempting to live in extreme poverty, on $1.25 a day, across 3 continents. The adventure takes a devastating turn when two of them survive a deadly plane crash in Africa, and all three must fight to finish what they started. The result is a humorous, adventurous and compelling film that will "connect those who need something to live for with those who just need something to live."

Watch the trailer.

7:00 - Pre-screening Networking.  Bring business cards and get to know the other people who'll be watching the film.
7:30 - Welcome and Introduction.
7:40 - Film begins.
9:10 - Film concludes. Bathroom and coffee break.
9:25 - Q & A with the filmmakers.

Suggested Donation is $15 but give what you can.
Reserve your ticket at overflowfilm.eventbrite.com.
Once we pay for the costs of showing the film and getting the filmmakers to Chicago, we're going to use any extra money to fund a microloan to an entrepreneur in a Ethiopia, Kenya, or Rwanda through World Vision. We aren't looking to make a profit ourselves but to make a difference in the fight against extreme poverty. We'll also give a portion of food and drink sales before and after the screening toward the microloan.

The film will be shown in the auditorium in the rear of Overflow Coffee Bar at 1550 S. State Street. The auditorium includes a big screen and professional sound system for a high-quality film screening.

While we encourage the use of public transit (Red Line, #29, #62 and other buses are close), limited parking is available in the rear of the building on a first come first served basis.  Bring $3 for your spot.  No one will be in the lot to take it.  You can pay at the ticket check-in table.

One baby at a time...

Support Tessa Grace Nutrition Center in Mozambique and save a life... one baby at a time!  Provide food for babies under 2.  Provide education and hope for their moms. Simply complete the following steps the next time you visit Overflow.

Step One: Place a donation of any amount in the bucket and grab an ornament.

Step Two: Hang the ornament on our tree for the world to see.

Special thanks for Richelle from Traffick Free for demonstrating the 2 steps!  Also thanks to our good friend Anita who works with the Nutrition Center and hooked us up with this opportunity to make a difference.

More Comfortable Seating

Thanks to some generous gifts, we now have more cushy seating. Come by and check it out!

Thoughts of 2010 and for 2011

Reflecting on 2010, we're thankful the following events took place:

In January, we collaborated with Mission Year for the first Overflow event in partnership with a nonprofit organization.

 

In March, we had a “Going Green” event for Overflow.  It was partially to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, to fundraise, and to showcase Overflow’s mission.  It was a lot of fun, complete with live Irish music and a leprechaun.

In April, we purchased a portable espresso machine to use for catering and fundraising events.  We’ve used it at several events since and at parties in our home.  It has been a great help in practicing our latte art.

In June, 2 major events happened:

1.    We held our first event in the building where Overflow will be located.  We called the event Café Con Brio and had a great time with live performances from multiple artists and yummy food and espresso.  If this was any indication of future events, Overflow is going to really impact the arts.

2.    We moved from our 1-bedroom apartment to a 3-bedroom and acquired 2 roommates (and our cat got 2 new feline friends!).  We made this move to have a larger living room for having parties and to save money.  It’s been great living in community.

In July, we celebrated 4 years of marriage with a “staycation.”  We enjoyed the city and used the money we would’ve spent on travel/hotel taking advantage of July 4^th sales.

Toward the end of July, beginning of August, Amanda completed a coffee shop marathon at the Common Cup in Rogers Park while the owner was out of town.  Through the marathon, we raised over $10,000 for Overflow’s plumbing and electric costs and Brandon cut his shoulder-length hair as a result of raising so much.

In September, we had an Overflow booth at the Bash on Wabash, a South Loop street festival.  We got to meet hundreds of our neighbors in the South Loop and share with them about Overflow.  In return, they shared with us how much they desire an independent coffee shop in our neighborhood.

Currently, Overflow is moving forward.  We are currently negotiating a lease and will have it signed by December 31.

We are very hopeful for 2011 and the opening of the physical doors of Overflow Coffee Bar in March.   

If you'd like to be part of Overflow's beginning, please consider participating giving a financial gift or making a purchase on our website.  Any gift or purchase is appreciated and beneficial.  Your gift will be used to purchase equipment and furniture and help us get started sooner and with less debt.  To give, look on the right-hand side of this page and click "ChipIn!"  To purchase a product go to www.overflowcoffeebar.org/shop.html.

On Fundraising

Fundraising... it's difficult for those who have to raise funds... it's also hard on those who are always asked to give.  A necessary evil perhaps?  I thought it would be good to review why Overflow Coffee Bar is raising funds.

1. Bank loans hard to come by, especially for people like us who do not own a home.  Without fundraising, Overflow would never be able to open simply because bank loans aren't plausible for us.  (Private loans on the other hand are more likely, if you'd be interested in doing one, please let us know.)

2. At many businesses, loan interests are often passed on to customers through an increase in prices.  We want to avoid this and keep our prices as low as possible.  Your gift to Overflow helps us keep our prices low when we open!

3. Fundraising is also a good way to test the ideas behind our business.  While fundraising, we talk with people who have great feedback about our ideas and ideas of their own.  Through implementing the feedback and new ideas, Overflow becomes better.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, I want to make sure people understand that our fundraising is a ONE-TIME OCCURRENCE.  Once the doors of Overflow open, fundraising to support Overflow will cease.  Instead, we will be able to support nonprofit work with the profits we make from selling food and drink.  In other words, we multiply your gift to Overflow and support many nonprofits over many years.

Be A Part of Overflow

Help take these...

And make this:

Help us take some swatches and samples of our cabinets and counter tops and make them into the actual thing!

Please consider giving a gift. Who knows, your small gift may help inspire someone else to give!

To give, click "Chip In" on the top left hand side of this page!

(Gifts are made quickly and securely through Paypal.)

Latest Update

We are currently working hard on getting our lease signed at 1550 S. State.  It shouldn't be much longer until we have all the details worked out.  If you're wondering why it's taking so long, just imagine having a landlord who's a school board.  We really excited about the collaboration we'll have with the school but there are other items to deal with, like making sure the entire school board is on the same page regarding the details of our agreement with them.

We are also currently working on an application for a loan from the SBA.  As you can imagine, this is lots and lots of paperwork.  I've been meeting with my business banker and a mentor from SCORE Chicago (a volunteer counseling program of the SBA).  They have proved very helpful in this process but there is still much to be done.

This Wednesday, we have another appointment with a cabinet and counter maker.  Cabinets and counters are the most important furniture in our space and will define Overflow's space and show who we are.  If the cabinets and counters are clean, well-constructed and fit our branding, Overflow's credibility will increase.  Plus the cabinets and counters will hold our equipment so its durability is important for keeping our equipment safe.  The maker is giving us a great deal.  He's a local guy and this business has been in his family for 3 generations.  The estimate for the cabinets and counters is $10,770. 

Over the weekend, we received $105 toward the purchase of the cabinets and counters!  We're trying to get as much money together as possible because we'll most likely have to purchase the cabinets and counters prior to getting approved for the SBA loan.  We're asking people to consider giving $15 toward the purchase of the cabinets and counters so that we can get moving quickly and open the doors of Overflow as soon as possible.  A purchase from our website also helps us get closer to opening the shop.  Please visit www.overflowcoffeebar.org and make your gift or purchase an item.

Marathon in Review

The marathon is over... Let's summarize.

I ended up working 54.5 hours during the week with some time I had to stay late.  I've finally recovered physically and emotionally.  But I'm still working on getting caught up with my to-do list.

With all the contributions in, we raise $10,832.32.  That's 72% of our $15,000 goal. This money will go toward the electrical and plumbing work being done within the next month.  Whatever is left over will be put toward purchasing the cabinets and counter top that will make up the coffee bar.

While we didn't raise our full goal and I won't get to shave Brandon's head, he is thinking of getting it cut... Be sure to tell him what you think he should do with it!

If you weren't able to give but wanted to, you can use the chip in to the right or send us a contribution.  Just message us for the address. 

Thanks to all you who gave. We got the full matching gift because of your help!

Brandon's Long Hair: Saying Good-bye? Here's how.

Brandon's been growing his hair out for about a year and a half.  It's gotta pretty long, probably a little too long.  Take a look...

But Amanda convinced him to part ways with the hair if they reach the $15,000 goal for the Coffee Shop Marathon by her birthday: 8-9-10.  Want to see Amanda shave Brandon's head?  Give TODAY at http://www.overflowcoffeebar.org/marathon.html!  If they reach the goal, we'll post a video of Amanda shaving Brandon's hair on her birthday!