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.

Read more and see pick-up dates and locations here.

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.

Five things you can do to help END SLAVERY

On Wednesday, I attended a hearing at City Hall where citizens passionate about ending human trafficking in Chicago told the city council what they should do to help join the fight.  If you want a recap I live Tweeted from City Hall so you can check out https://twitter.com/overflowcoffee and scroll down to Wednesday, June 10 at 10am.

I thought you might like to know a few things YOU can do.  I'm listing 5 because there's a 5k coming up (see #1).  Pick at least 1 and try it out.

1. Walk/Jog/Run with Team Overflow in the Traffick Free 5k Run Against Traffick on September 7.  Ask your barista for the details on how to sign up with our team.

2. Purchase slave-free products (like many of Overflow’s offerings).  Check out your favorite brands at www.free2work.org and see how they measure up.

3. Donate to Traffick Free (traffickfree.org) or another organization working  to abolish modern day slavery.  Every little bit goes a long way.

4. Add the Human Trafficking Hotline to your contacts on your smartphone.  The number is 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP or INFO to BeFree (233733).  

5. Strategize with others about what we can do as a community at our next film screening.

We’ll show Nefarious on August 27 at 7pm.  More details coming soon. 

Possibly actions we’ll discuss on August 27:

- starting an ongoing discussion group

- ways we can help create more housing for survivors

- developing more action steps regular people can take to end modern day slavery

- how to connect the abolitionist movement with other social justice issues

The Future of This Blog

Along with celebrating 2 years since our doors opened, we're taking this anniversary as an opportunity to evaluate what we're doing and how we can do it better.  This blog is 1 of the things on our evaluation list.  

We started this blog to record our entrepreneurial journey as we create Overflow Coffee Bar.  In January 2010, I wrote that I want this blog to be "much more personal." I said I wanted to "share more deeply about the things I'm learning, struggling with and dreaming about as we continue on this journey of taking our passions (coffee, justice, social change, Jesus) and making something (Overflow Coffee Bar) that changes the world." 

Since then, Overflow has opened it's doors and this blog has become much more about promoting our activities.  I never intended for this change to happen.  As we were overwhelmed with running the day-to-day operations, lots of things fell through the cracks and got changed from our intentions.  

While I still want to use this blog to keep others informed of what's happening at 1550 S. State Street, I also want to get back to recording our journey and sharing more deeply.  Along those lines, check back Monday for a new series of blog posts highlighting our value of Purposeful Living.

Seeking Intern, Apprentice, or Volunteer for Special Project

Read on if you fit ALL of these criteria:

• You want to build your resume with social media marketing, web design or online community building experience.
• You have at least 10 hours per week for 2-3 months to devote to this.
• You work well with a team and enjoy collaboration.
• You love to be creative and learn quickly.
• You are looking for a way to give back and change the world (starting with the South Loop).

We are preparing to complete a super special secret project!  All we can publish online is that it involves "online community building."  To be successful, we need some extra hands that fit the above criteria.  

We are willing to barter in exchange for your efforts.  Bartering includes giving you coffee, food, gas money (or CTA passes), and/or self-fulfillment.  

If you're interested, please call (312) 674-0001.  Email inquiries will be ignored.

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.

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!

We're Looking For: DOCUMENTARIES!

We starting to schedule documentary screenings for 2013.  If you know a documentary you'd like us to show, please complete this suggestion form.

We show a documentary once per month (except December).  In 2012, they were on the 4th Thursdays but in 2013 we're going to try them on the 4th Tuesdays for the most part.  Watch for a posting of dates and the films we have listed so far sometime before December 31.

Films we've already screened include:
Black Gold
Call + Response
Father of Lights
Give a Damn?
Good Fortune
Live 58
The People's Crisis
The Price of Sugar
Very Young Girls

If you have a suggestion for a documentary we should screen, please share it with us by using the form link above.  Thanks for sharing!

We're looking for: ARTISTS!

We need some art to display on our walls in 2013.  If you're an interested artists, fill out the form here.

Here are some details you might want to know:
To express interest in showing your art on the walls at Overflow Coffee Bar for approximately 1 month, please complete the form  We'll get back to you to discuss details.

Here are the rules:

1. Artists are given priority for scheduling in the order their forms are received.
2. Artists must live, work or study in the South Loop or a nearby neighborhood within the City of Chicago.
3. Artists may list their pieces for sale and keep 100% of the sales. Overflow does not take any overhead or fees.
4. Artists must not have a permanent gallery space.
5. We have lots of kids come through the coffee bar so all art is subject to approval by Overflow staff.
6. Artists are encouraged but not required to have an opening reception soon after their art is hung.  The reception is a great opportunity for inviting friends and family to see the art!

Artist Phil poses with his art

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.

Adding Warmth to Our Space

The feedback we hear most often about Overflow's space is that it's not warm enough. It feels sparse and institutional instead of cozy and welcoming.  Over the past month, we've done a few things to help our space feel warmer.

• We changed the blinds so that we can block out the sunlight when it gets in people's faces.
• We added new lighting so that the art on our walls isn't in the dark.
• We added new banquettes (fancy benches) so that the seating is more comfortable and the space has more color.

We're not done yet.  We still have a few things to do as money becomes available.  If you'd like to help us keep upgrading our space to be more welcoming, keep coming in and supporting us.  We're a neighborhood coffee shop so we want to be what the neighborhood wants.  Thanks for being great neighbors!

Before the banquettes were installed:

After the banquettes were installed:

Planning for the Fall

As much as we don't like to think about it, fall is just around the corner.  We're starting to gear up for a full line of events in partnership with the Daystar Center.  We'd like your input. 

Please take the poll to the right.  If you have additional ideas, please comments on this post. 

We want the events we do to be what the South Loop neighborhood wants so please, speak up. 

New Product! Boxed Water

We've had loads of people asking for bottled water but we just couldn't bring ourselves to use plastic bottles.  So we did some research and are happy to present... Boxed Water Is Better.

Here's some information about the company:

• About 76% of the Boxed Water container is made from a renewable resource, trees, that when harvested in a responsible, managed, and ethical way serve as an amazing renewable resource that benefits the environment even as it's renewed.  
• The boxes are shipped flat to the filler which is significantly more efficient compared to shipping empty plastic or glass bottles to be filled. The flat, unfilled boxes can fit on 2 pallets, but this same volume would require about 5 truckloads for empty plastic or glass bottles.  
• The cartons can also be broken down to their original flat state, and are recyclable.  
• The company also gives 20% of their profits back to nonprofit work with the resources their product is composed of - water and trees.  

Learn more at www.boxedwaterisbetter.com.

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: 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!

Update About Our Lease at 1550 S. State

Our lease is currently with our attorney.  She is preparing her thoughts.  On Monday, she and I will discuss her thoughts.  Then, we'll be back to negotiating but we expect there to not be any problems.  We have told the Lessor that we absolutely need to get the lease signed by the end of the year.

For some perspective if you've never dealt with commercial leases, the lease agreement is 25 pages long and very dense.  It'll be for a 3-year term.  Our lease is complicated by the fact that we're actually "space-sharing" with a collection of non-profits.  We have to determine details like splitting utilities and who's cleaning.  We have to work out the same things individuals do when having roommates.  But now things have been worked out and we're ready to move forward.

Keep posted to this blog, facebook.com/overflowcoffeebar and twitter.com/overflowcoffee for the announcement of our lease being signed!

As a teaser, here's a random photo of our cool black open ceiling that's already completed.  :)

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.

Espresso Machine is all warmed up!

After an event on Friday night and an event Tuesday night, it's awesome to say that our new espresso machine has been officially broken in and warmed up.  The drinks are tasting very yummy.  One *bucks employee commented that the drinks are very tasty compared to what he drinks all day at work.  That doesn't surprise us though.  :)

We're ready to make more yummy drinks at Cafe Con Brio on June 5.  We'd love to make you one too.  Are you attending??? http://conta.cc/9TKXFb

Pre-Registration!!!

Just a quick note to say that I really wish people would pre-register for the June 5 Cafe Con Brio.  Not only would it make my life easier on the planning side of things but it would also expedite check-in at the event.  Make a committment that you're coming and register NOW!  http://conta.cc/9TKXFb

The Past Week or So.

On Friday, February 5th I found out Mark from the IRS had our 501(c)(3) application on his desk.  I got his phone number, called, and left a message.

On Monday, February 8th,  Mark returned my call.  He said he would look at the application within the next couple days and would be getting back to me with a request for additional information.

On Wednesday morning around 9:30am, Mark sent me a fax with the requestion for additional information.  The request took up 10 pages and consisted of 18 sets of questions to which he needed answers. 

By Wednesday night around 10:30pm, I had a rough draft of my responses to all Mark's questions ready to send to Overflow's Board of Directors for their feedback.

On Thursday, I received the responses from the board and finalized the answers and their corresponding attachments.

On Friday morning, I went to Staples to get all 34 pages of the answers and attachements printed and ready to go.  Then, went to a partner organization who let me use their fax and sent all 34 pages via fax to Mark.  It was around 9am Central Time when the fax was sent.  Finally, I went to the post office and put everything in the mail to Mark.  I got home around 10:30am and napped for an hour or so.  Then, it was back to work getting caught up with all the things I missed while working on the IRS stuff.

I hope to hear something on Tuesday or shortly thereafter.  Check back for an update as soon as I have one.