Senior Lindy Winkler feels more productive when studying at a coffee shop than at her house.
“In my free time, I’ll just watch TV or go on my phone, and so, [the] repetition of doing that at my house, I feel like, would make it more likely for me to resort back to [watching TV and going on my phone] when I’m trying to do homework or something,” said Winkler. “Being in a different environment helps me to not do that as often.”
BEAN BAR, a new coffee restaurant, plans to open in downtown Northbrook this January. Business owner Serah Cicek intends to include designated spaces where students can study.
Because a Chase Bank was formerly located in the BEAN BAR building, Cicek immediately knew there were rooms that she could turn into spaces for kids to come and study for free, she said.
“[BEAN BAR is] doing construction modifications in that site that was once a bank, and they’re turning it into a restaurant, so they needed permits for that type of construction,” Village President Kathryn Ciesla said.
According to Cicek, she took over the lease in December and thought BEAN BAR would be open by June or July, but the process of obtaining a permit pushed back the opening date.
BEAN BAR will be the fourth business Cicek has opened in Northbrook. Sheowns EATACO,NEXT-DOOR LOUNGE and REVER WOMEN’S APPAREL.
When opening BEAN BAR,Cicek wanted to build something that would become a community hub, she said.
“You know, I have EATACO that’s family-friendly, but then I have NEXT-DOOR LOUNGE that’s not kid-friendly at all because we only do 21-plus,” Cicek said.
Cicek’s goal is to make Northbrook a destination, she said.
According to Ciesla, she thinks small businesses really add to the character and the quality of the community.Locals have been loyal to her businesses since opening EATACO right before COVID-19, Cicek said.
“[COVID-19] affected [EATACO] quite a bit,” said Cicek. “You know, aside from [the pandemic] being scary, [we were] also very new, so not a lot of people [knew] about us, so we didn’t know how we would pull through.”
“We’re a small, family-owned business, and [the locals] came to support,” said Cicek. “[COVID-19] did set things back probably two years for us, so we are just hitting [the] six-year mark now and finally starting to feel like we’re getting to where we would like to be.”
According to Winkler, she thinks BEAN BAR will bring new life to Northbrook.
“I love getting breakfast from restaurants and stuff, and I love to try new foods,” said Winkler.“So I’ll definitely use [BEAN BAR] to try new drinks and foods and … to have another option to study at.”