Today marks the three year anniversary of Tala. That day began a whole host of “firsts” for us. First time selling a bag of coffee, first time being featured in the press, first time hiring a Tala employee, first time opening a cafe. We had talked about each one before launching, looking forward to each as a benchmark of our progress. We’re still hitting firsts today, actually. Every one is exciting and reminds me how worthwhile our hard work has been.

Lockdown obviously has changed all of our lives in a lot of ways, but the good news is that outside is still open! It isn’t exaclty atypical for me to spend lots of time outside but in this season the time feels even more important. There’s something about the fresh air and the open spaces that feels so safe and comforting. In the midst of the lockdown the outdoors is the gift we didn’t know we needed.

Coffee—and in particular a coffee shop—brings together people quite unlike most other things. We see people meet in the cafe and later become friends. They bond over their dogs or their cars or their drinks. Our cafe is a place of connection and reconnection; old friends get together to catch up, spouses sip their lattes on a nice morning away from the house.

Many of you have been wondering what the recent ban of restaurants and bars in Illinois has meant for Tala. We are making changes to abide by this law, and continuing to be flexible and creative as we approach new ways to serve our customers through this health crisis.

We threw our second annual Holiday Party last night for our staff. These moments are, I think, what makes our company so special. We have an unbelievably amazing team of staff who are great at their jobs, exemplify our values and offer genuine value to our customers.

Do you love coffee? Join the club. With our Tala Coffee Club we celebrate all coffee-lovers from the casual coffee consumer to the nerdiest of coffee enthusiasts. We know the importance of your morning cup of coffee and we want to make it easy without compromising quality. Join the club for fresh specialty coffee delivered straight to your door so you can never run out of coffee again. Enjoy member perks like exclusive discounts and insider information.

Happy Small Business Saturday! I might be biased, but I really appreciate this day every year. It solidifies something we have always believed at Tala, and yet often forget: there is something we can offer as a small business that a giant company cannot. We absolutely love that we get to know our customer’s names, that we can offer a place of genuine connection and also a high-quality product that isn’t watered down by big business agendas. So thanks for celebrating small business with us—we’re in great company.

This time of year you might find a few extra people in your home. Invited, uninvited—who really knows. Keeping the peace and putting your most hospitable foot forward always starts with coffee. Let’s make sure no one catches each other before their morning coffee. It’ll be better that way, won’t it? Here’s a few tips for the best help-yourself coffee station to impress the guests and make your life easier.

This past weekend Highwood celebrated its tenth annual Pumpkin Festival. It’s the biggest celebration of the year in Highwood—which says a lot for a town that has festivals for everything from garlic to country music to a bloody mary. The whole town transforms into a Pumpkin-lined wonderland with scaffolding two stories tall holding pumpkins carved in every imaginable variety. Our cafe sits right outside the boundaries of Pumpkin Fest, so it was a haven to locals trying to escape the crowds and visitors needing a place to warm up.