This looks like such a great place. I’m nowhere near Portland, yet you make me feel like I’ve been there for the entire ride. Someplace to drink coffee and just hang out. I’m sure you had a real sour feeling walking out for the last time.
I remember the days when Caribou (which I liked better than Starbucks, then they abandoned Chicago) and Starbucks were places to do the same…hang out and drink coffee. The atmospheres were calm and relaxing. Now, the attitude is gimme your money, wait 10 minutes for your drink and get the hell out. When I see independent shops like you’ve been able to experience, I’m there, even if it’s just for a quickie.
I’m sure your emotions are quite bittersweet right now.
Thanks for taking the time to read this post and comment, Ken. It means a lot. I remember Caribou and, like you, miss the days when Starbucks was a place with comfortable seating where you could stay a while. The focus on drive thrus (the antithesis of Howard Schultz' "third place") and hard seating in recent years has definitely changed the vibe. The new CEO has suggested he wants to prioritize a return to a better ambiance and I wish him. We'll see how it plays out. (https://about.starbucks.com/press/2024/back-to-starbucks/)
I applaud you for voting with your feet and pocketbook and supporting independent shops when you see them. Do you have a favorite coffee shop in Chicago you'd recommend?
Most of them are flat out gone. There used to be a few downtown in the city that went away with the Starbucks boom. Some of the Caribous became Peets which at one time had that small mom and pop vibe when they were only one store here in Evanston. But most of those converts are gone too and the ones that are left don’t give you that cozy feel.
I found a place in the northern Suburb of Riverwoods I’ve been to a couple of times called Cafe de Oro. Coffee there is good, although I haven’t tried any of their food. https://cafedeoro-rw.com/
This looks like such a great place. I’m nowhere near Portland, yet you make me feel like I’ve been there for the entire ride. Someplace to drink coffee and just hang out. I’m sure you had a real sour feeling walking out for the last time.
I remember the days when Caribou (which I liked better than Starbucks, then they abandoned Chicago) and Starbucks were places to do the same…hang out and drink coffee. The atmospheres were calm and relaxing. Now, the attitude is gimme your money, wait 10 minutes for your drink and get the hell out. When I see independent shops like you’ve been able to experience, I’m there, even if it’s just for a quickie.
I’m sure your emotions are quite bittersweet right now.
Thanks for taking the time to read this post and comment, Ken. It means a lot. I remember Caribou and, like you, miss the days when Starbucks was a place with comfortable seating where you could stay a while. The focus on drive thrus (the antithesis of Howard Schultz' "third place") and hard seating in recent years has definitely changed the vibe. The new CEO has suggested he wants to prioritize a return to a better ambiance and I wish him. We'll see how it plays out. (https://about.starbucks.com/press/2024/back-to-starbucks/)
I applaud you for voting with your feet and pocketbook and supporting independent shops when you see them. Do you have a favorite coffee shop in Chicago you'd recommend?
Most of them are flat out gone. There used to be a few downtown in the city that went away with the Starbucks boom. Some of the Caribous became Peets which at one time had that small mom and pop vibe when they were only one store here in Evanston. But most of those converts are gone too and the ones that are left don’t give you that cozy feel.
I found a place in the northern Suburb of Riverwoods I’ve been to a couple of times called Cafe de Oro. Coffee there is good, although I haven’t tried any of their food. https://cafedeoro-rw.com/