Our Story - Why we do this!

Coffee roasting is not our job; it’s our art and our passion.

We are inspired by the world-famous local “Prairie School” architecture here in Oak Park, IL. The image at the top of this page isn’t our roastery (unfortunately for us!) but rather one of the many prairie-style buildings in our neighborhood. Earthy, natural, blending in to - almost growing out of - the horizontal midwestern prairie landscape, this home is an inspirational, living work of art.

The Prairie School  was an art and architectural movement that prized the sensory experience and artfulness over mass-production and profit. The Prairie School architects brought humanity to design and homebuilding by focusing on people and their experiences versus just slapping up four walls and a roof as quickly as possible.

As a craft coffee roaster we have one goal: to make your morning coffee ritual a true sensory experience. Coffee isn’t just about the morning buzz; it’s your quiet time, your happy time, your calm before the chaos.

Coffee serves most of us in two ways: function (energy and focus in the morning) and form (the sensory experience). While just about any coffee can serve the “energy” function, the vast majority of coffee overlooks the sensory experience. A lot of coffee we drink just doesn’t taste great, hence the need for cream and sugar to go with your morning brew. That’s function without form; it’s all science and no art.

But proper craft coffee really does feel like magic because it both gives you your buzz and delights your senses. You enjoy the scent of the beans as you grind them, you take in the aroma arising from the coffee as you brew it, you are delighted by the intensity as you take your first sip, and you savor the flavors as you make your way to the bottom of the cup.

The Prairie School movement believed that better houses made better people.

Can better coffee make better people? We think so!