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. 

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

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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.

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!

New, Extended Summer Hours

Perhaps these should really be called "warmer month hours" since it's not technically summer yet and these will probably continue into the fall.  Let's not get caught up in technicalities and celebrate that you'll be able to get coffee, tea, espresso, pastries and sandwiches at Overflow more often!  Here's the new hours starting Sunday, April 22:

Saturdays and Sundays 8am to 6pm

Monday through Friday 7am to 9pm

That's 2 extra hours earlier on Sundays, an extra hour later on Saturdays and an extra hour later through out the week.

It's because of your support that we're able to extend our hours.  Keep it up and we'll keep finding ways to serve you better!

2012 Overflow Membership Cards Now Available!

This plastic, wallet-sized 2012 Membership Card costs $50.00. It gets you 10% off everything you purchase from Overflow Coffee Bar - including food, drinks, beans, t-shirts, tumblers, and more! The only thing it doesn't work on is catering orders since those are already discounted. The savings starts January 1, 2012 and ends December 31, 2012. Only a limited number 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!

Click here to reserve your 2012 Membership Card.

Photo of the day: OPEN!!!

Now open for business.  Friday, March 18 - 7am to 8pm.  Saturday, March 19 - 10am to 5pm.  Sunday, March 20 - 10am to 3pm.  Monday-Friday, March 21 to 25 - 7am to 6pm.  Hope to see you here!

Photo of the Day: Espresso Machine Delivery

It's still wrapped but its here!!!

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