The Tala Blog

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How Do I Get Better At Tasting Coffee? 

If you’ve ever taken a sip of coffee and wondered how some people can pick out tasting notes like peach, jasmine, and caramelized sugar, you’re not alone. Tasting coffee is a skill — one that develops over time. 

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Tala Coffee Roasters Tala Coffee Roasters

Winnetka Turns Two!

We’re celebrating TWO YEARS at our Winnetka Cafe this week! To mark this occasion, we’re inviting you to comment below with your favorite memory at the Winnetka Cafe for your chance to win a $100 cafe gift card.

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Alo Ochoa Alo Ochoa

Sunday Morning at the Coffeehouse

It’s 6:30 a.m. on a Sunday, and the café is still waking up. The air smells like clean countertops and yesterday’s roasted beans. Mia and I are already moving through our opening routine — putting out the pastries, brewing the first batch of drip, and quietly trying to convince our brains to start functioning…

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Maya Johnson Maya Johnson

Behind The Bar With Bianka

Our “Behind The Bar'“ series highlights one of our team members, celebrating their unique contribution to the Tala experience. We believe the connection across the bar can be meaningful and impactful. Our team puts a smile on the faces of so many each day by simply serving delicious beverages and being an authentic presence in each person’s day. Learn more about what makes each person on the Tala Team unique with this personal interview.

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Michael Michalak Michael Michalak

Tala-Ween Party Recap

Last Saturday, we threw our Ice Cream Social and Costume Party and had a great turnout! The cafe was buzzing all day, and our one-day-only affogato special was a huge hit, with espresso poured over Oberweis ice cream

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Marissa Cummings Marissa Cummings

Behind The Bar With Emily

Our “Behind The Bar'“ series highlights one of our team members, celebrating their unique contribution to the Tala experience. We believe the connection across the bar can be meaningful and impactful. Our team puts a smile on the faces of so many each day by simply serving delicious beverages and being an authentic presence in each person’s day. Learn more about what makes each person on the Tala Team unique with this personal interview.

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Marissa Cummings Marissa Cummings

Coffee Horoscopes

The ~cosmos~ have spoken. Your destiny? Delicious. Gone are the days of circling your horoscope with a glitter gel pen and feeling known by the universe from a paragraph that told you to “embrace your sparkle”. Lucky for you, we’re bringing back that magic… coffee edition.

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Mel Kreppein Mel Kreppein

Staff Bucketlists

Summer comes but once a year and it can be difficult to keep track of all the fun plans and ideas you had at the beginning. Writing them down and creating a bucket list is one of the simplest ways to set those intentions and meet your summer goals! I wanted to see how our Tala team would do when tasked with setting those plans in motion- and got to check in to see how it went!

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Mia Rhee Mia Rhee

The History of Tala Cyclists

Tala Coffee Roasters, in addition to specialty coffee, often hosts a line of cyclists snaking their way through the cafe on weekdays and weekends–opting for more traditional fare like the single shot or Gibraltar. The history between Tala and the cycling community runs deep, extending back to when the Highwood cafe first opened its doors in 2018, and has expanded ever since.

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Tala Coffee Roasters Tala Coffee Roasters

Libertyville Turns Two!

We’re celebrating TWO YEARS at our Libertyville Cafe this week! To mark this occasion, we’re inviting you to comment below with your favorite memory at the Libertyville Cafe for your chance to win a $100 cafe gift card.

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Rachel Severyns Rachel Severyns

Behind The Bar With Alejandro

Our “Behind The Bar'“ series highlights one of our team members, celebrating their unique contribution to the Tala experience. We believe the connection across the bar can be meaningful and impactful. Our team puts a smile on the faces of so many each day by simply serving delicious beverages and being an authentic presence in each person’s day. Learn more about what makes each person on the Tala Team unique with this personal interview.

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Marissa Cummings Marissa Cummings

Behind The Scenes With Bethany

Our “Behind The Scenes'“ series highlights one of our production team members, celebrating their unique contribution to the Tala experience. We believe the connection behind and across the bar can be meaningful and impactful. Our production team is the glue that holds Tala together, and we wouln’t be who we are without them. Learn more about what makes each person on the Tala Team unique with this personal interview.

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Joanna Tong Joanna Tong

Campus Coffee Isn’t Good

While we can’t fix the terrible cafeteria coffee that’s likely served at your university, we can make sure you’re stocked with great coffee and the right gear for the job.

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Tala Coffee Roasters Tala Coffee Roasters

Highwood Turns 7!

We’re celebrating SEVEN YEARS at our Highwood Cafe this weekend! As the adage goes, time flies when you’re having fun! To mark this occasion, we’re inviting you to comment below with your favorite memory at the Highwood Cafe for your chance to win a $100 cafe gift card. We can’t wait to see all the memories cooked up!

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Alo Ochoa Alo Ochoa

What Does Your Mug Say About You?

Let’s be honest: the way we drink our coffee is personal. For some, it’s all about the roast; for others, the brewing method. But for a lot of us, it comes down to the mug. Whether it’s a chipped hand-me-down or a sleek travel tumbler, we tend to be loyal to our favorite cup, and that says a lot about who we are.

Inspired by Marissa’s tea personality quiz, we thought it’d be fun to flip the script. This time, we’re looking at the mugs our staff swear by. Based on your mug of choice, you’ll find out which Tala team member you're most like. Ready to sip your way to self-discovery?

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Joanna Tong Joanna Tong

Kopi & Kaya

We recently launched our summer drinks at our cafes, and this year, we decided to bring back one of our all-time favorites: The Kopi & Kaya. It’s been a few years since we’ve had it on the menu, and we’ve gotten a lot of questions about it—mostly, what is kopi and what is kaya?

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Marissa Cummings Marissa Cummings

Barista Beats: Libertyville Cafe Playlists

There’s nothing like stepping into our Libertyville cafe and being greeted with the intoxicating scent of freshly brewed coffee and the friendly faces of our staff. But arguably one of the best parts of the experience is the song you get to jam out to while you sip your coffee. Our baristas have the freedom to curate their own playlists for our café, bringing their own personal flare to the shift. Have you ever wondered what they have next on the queue? We’ve gathered a few favorites from each of our Libertyville baristas (so you can curate a playlist of your own!).

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Mike Michalak Mike Michalak

Birthday Coloring Contest Gallery

As part of our 8th birthday celebration at our Libertyville Roastery, we hosted a coloring contest, and let’s just say, our community showed up with some serious creativity! We were blown away by the range of entries — from playful to impressively detailed — and had a tough time narrowing down our favorites. Check out our gallery of all of the amazing entries below!

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Rachel Severyns Rachel Severyns

A Kiddo’s Guide to “Coffee”

While we don’t have a formal kids’ menu, we definitely have a handful of drinks that cater to young tastes (or those looking for something sweet, comforting, and caffeine-free). Whether you’re a parent stopping in with your little one or just someone who’s craving a nostalgic break from the usual espresso routine, these drinks are for you.

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Rachel Severyns Rachel Severyns

Staff Cookout Recap

This past week, our team came together to celebrate the start of summer with a summer cookout at our Libertyville Roastery — a perfect way to enjoy good company and great weather. Our evening was filled with delicious food, plenty of over-caffeinated staff members, and lots of laughter!

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Marissa Cummings Marissa Cummings

Dads Of Tala

This Father’s Day, we wanted to shine a light on the amazing dads who are part of the Tala family. We’re excited to share what they had to say about their favorite parts of being a dad, what surprised them, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

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