Tala is Coming to Winnetka

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!

Community, NewsJoanna TongSeptember 28, 2023Tala Coffee Roasters Tala Coffee in Winnetka, Coffee Shop Design, Tala Coffee New Location, Cafe Architecture, Coffee Shop Build-out, Functionality in Design, Gas Station Renovation, Architecture Design Process, Renovation Process, Small Business Renovation

Libertyville is Open!

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.

Community, NewsTala Coffee RoastersSeptember 8, 2023Tala Coffee Roasters Tala Coffee in Libertyville, Coffee in Libertyville, To Do in Libertyville, Grand Opening, Tala Coffee New Location, Coffee Roastery

How We're Designing Our Libertyville Cafe

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.

Community, NewsJoanna TongAugust 23, 2023Tala Coffee Roasters Tala Coffee in Libertyville, Tala Coffee New Location, Coffee Shop Design, Minimalist Coffee Shop Design, Functionality in Design, Cafe Architecture, Architecture Design Process

How Our Expansion Started

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.

Community, NewsJoanna TongJuly 11, 2023Tala Coffee Roasters Tala Coffee in Libertyville, Grand Opening, Tala Coffee New Location, Coffee Shop Interior, Coffee Shop Build-out, Cafe Architecture, Q&A, Small Business Renovation, Small Business Expantion, Cafe Zoning

We're Expanding!

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.

Community, NewsTala Coffee RoastersJuly 9, 2023Tala Coffee Roasters Tala Coffee in Libertyville, Tala Coffee New Location, Small Business Expantion, Tala Coffee in Winnetka, Community, Specialty Coffee Shop, Coffee in Chicago Suburbs

One Year With Coffee Club

“I noticed that you had a Coffee Club subscription, and I just thought it would be a great way to dive in and explore what your business has to offer.” One year later Billy and Maria are still loving the perks and new experiences that come with trying a different coffee every month.

CommunityHaley HorvatJuly 8, 2023Tala Coffee Roasters Coffee Bean Subscription, Specialty coffee, Single Origin Coffee, Small Business, Small Coffee Roaster, Chicagoland Coffee, Chicago Coffee Roastery, Community, Shop Local, Local Coffee

Behind the Bar with Sydney

Sydney started working at Tala as a Neighborly delivery driver in the summer of 2022. Long before she was an employee, Syd was a regular at the cafe—partly because her sister Lucy worked with us, but also because it’s where she did homework almost every day after school. After doing Neighborly for a few months, Sydney joined the cafe team and has worked steadily ever since!

Behind the Bar, CommunityHaley HorvatMay 19, 2023Tala Coffee Roasters Community, Specialty coffee, Behind the bar, Barista Highlight, Tala coffee in Highwood, People in Coffee, Q&A, Coffee Shop Culture, Barista Stories

In Celebration of Mom

From our biological moms, to the role models and women that have built a motherly bond with us over time, we are so thankful for each and every one of you. You have brought comfort, advice, kindness, gentleness, love, and unending support into our lives. You show us how to keep going and what matters most in life. As a way to say thank you to our moms and the women who show us what being motherly means, the Tala staff has written up a quick list of our favorite things about mom.

CommunityHaley HorvatMay 14, 2023Tala Coffee Roasters Mother's Day, Community, People In Coffee, Tala Coffee, Small Business, Tala Coffee Family, In celebration of MothersComment

Partner Program Highlight: Nordic Brew

We said, ‘let’s repurpose it.’ It was actually my business partner’s idea because I’ve been a coffee shop fanatic for a long time. I’ve traveled out of state looking for different coffee shops. He knew that I’m crazy about coffee so he had this idea. We just turned it into a coffee shop and here we are!”

Partner Program, CommunityHaley HorvatApril 27, 2023Nordic Brew Partner Program, Wholesale Coffee, Tala Coffee Roasters, Nordic Brew, Small Business, Small Business Partnership, Wholesale coffee in Chicago, Chicagoland Coffee Partnerships, Chicago Coffee, Cross-fit, Crossfit CXX, Coffee and FitnessComment

Behind the Bar with Tayah

Currently Tayah works full time as a Shift Supervisor and our Event Coordinator. She is also one of the youngest on the Tala Team, although her maturity would make that hard to guess. Even when she isn’t on shift, Tayah can often be found hanging out at the cafe. If you’re a Highwood regular, you may already know a few things about Tayah. Let’s see if you learn anything new!

Behind the Bar, CommunityHaley HorvatApril 25, 2023Tala Coffee Roasters Community, Specialty Coffee, Behind the Bar, Barista Highlight, Tala Coffee in HIghwood, People in Coffee, Q&A, Coffee Shop Culture, Barista StoriesComment

Getting Creative with Amoret

“You can make it in the morning for caffeine or whatever and that’s great and definitely a benefit but to another extent, it’s a way to put time aside in the morning and slow yourself down. If you’re doing the pour over or if you’re just sitting down with a drip and just drinking it. At least for me it gives time in the morning and it’s definitely just a dedicated part of the day type of thing.” Jesse Taylor, creator of the song amoret

CommunityHaley HorvatMarch 29, 2023Tala Coffee Roasters Community, specialty Coffee, Barista Highlight, Tala Coffee in Highwood, People In Coffee, Q&A, Coffee Shop Culture, Barista Stories, Music and Coffee, Musician, Coffee Ritual, Coffee routine, Inspiration Comment

Partner Program Highlight: Milwalky Taco

“We kind of changed the town a little bit. I think we were the first place to do craft cocktails, especially the original Milwalky Trace. Which is just a normal cocktail nowadays but at the time we were doing stuff that nobody was doing. All our cocktails have way more booze than most places. We go hard with our drinks. We’re known for that. . . We’re known for our service and our food and all those things we concentrate on. Those are the things we care about and it shows and pays off.”

Partner Program, CommunityHaley HorvatFebruary 20, 2023Milwalky Taco Partner Program, Wholesale Coffee, Small Business Partnership, Small Business, Wholesale Coffee in Chicago, Chicagoland Coffee, Chicagoland Coffee Partnership, Chicago coffee, Milwalky Taco, To Do in Libertyville, Libertyville, Coffee Cocktails, Espresso MartiniComment

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