Over the past year, our Winnetka cafe site has undergone a radical transformation visible from the street, but what many may not realize is that the interior work began long before the exterior did, and after many long months, the work is finally done and we are open! Over the past 2.5+ years that we’ve been working on this project, I’ve been asked about the design so many times, especially because it is an old retro gas station. A lot of people have been curious about how we arrived at the aesthetic we have.

We looked at the broken windows, the piles of rubble, the broken-up concrete, and aged panels and saw what it could be. As we approach our finished product, I have to say that I think we were right. It looks pretty awesome.

This iconic corner building at the intersection of Winnetka Avenue and Green Bay Road will soon be a Tala cafe, and we couldn’t be more excited. Although a very prominent and noticeable plot in the Indian Hills district, this building has been an out-of-place eyesore for many years, as the Village of Winnetka searched for the perfect addition to this neighborhood. We are excited to be breathing new life into this old building and opening our doors to become a hub for connection, community, and, of course, great coffee!

After a long time of dreaming and planning and several months of build-out, we are excited to bring you a cafe in Libertyville! You can find our new cafe in the industrial district tucked behind Liberty Lake. We have quietly roasted in this building for over six years, and are so excited to finally be able to serve our coffee under the same roof as we’ve been operating since the beginning. For us, opening this cafe is like a homecoming.

The twists and turns of this project have significantly impacted the design, so much so that our original plan differs hugely from our final product. As frustrating as limitations can be, I find that sometimes the best creativity comes not from what can be done, but what cannot be. It was precisely the limitations we were met with along the way that brought us to our final design.

It’s always interesting to me how much curiosity people display, how much they want to know and how much they seem to truly care what the future holds for our little company. It is in that spirit of curiosity and care that I was persuaded by inquiring people to give something of a “behind the scenes” look at what this process has been like for us in the form of answering some commonly posed questioned.

The rumors are true—we’re expanding! In fact, we’re working on opening two different cafes soon: one in Winnetka and one in Libertyville.