Today we’d like to introduce you to Ann Cobb.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Ann. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My husband and I were looking for investment opportunities. We have owned a banquet and catering business in Batavia for 20 years and were looking to invest in commercial property. When we found this location in our hometown we couldn’t resist starting a coffee shop as the location was ideal and the town was in need!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Within the first two weeks of ownership during the beginning phases of rehab, we had a frozen pipe burst upstairs which flooded the area which is now our coffee shop. The damage to our building built over 125 years ago was extensive and we had to go down to the studs to rebuild.
This delayed our opening by 7 months but in the end, it was worth the wait as it allowed us to design and build out the front to our specifications and it gave us time to really research and learn the coffee business. I believe we were better prepared because of it!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Our town of Elburn is the last stop on the western line of the Metra. It is a farm community that has been evolving and expanding as the train has brought more Chicago area commuters to our community. We wanted to emphasize the intelligence of our clientele and bring a more sophisticated and urban feel to our downtown location.
At the same time, we wanted to ditch the attitude many coffee houses have and give our customers a warm and inviting experience. What sets us apart is the quality of our ingredients, the consistency of our product and our customer service. When it comes to our drinks I truly believe we offer the best. We use Sparrow as our roaster because we believe they are the best in the area.
In addition, we use top of the line syrups, chocolates and teas in order give the best quality product. All of our bakeries is made daily in-house with recipes I painstakingly developed over the course of 9 months. We offer a great lunch menu that features Boars Head Meats and Cheeses with many revolving specials as well as a homemade soup that rotates out weekly. I can honestly say, I am very proud of what we have accomplished at Corner Grind.
What were you like growing up?
I didn’t have a chance growing up … I had 3 older brothers and I am a tom-boy! I love all sports and rock and roll music and I hate drama! That said my mom was able to instill one thing in me that was not necessarily rough and tumble and that was the love of baking. As a family, we always had dessert after dinner so my mom and I baked almost daily.
That is where the idea of a coffee shop stemmed because I knew nothing goes better with coffee than bakery and I felt this would give me a chance to do what I loved. The first year I was here early every morning baking and of course, listening to rock and roll (Pearl Jam to be exact!).
As our shop evolved and expanded I have been able to hire a morning baker and now I get the fun job of just being able to toy around with new recipes! Life is pretty great!
Contact Info:
- Website: thecornergrind.com
- Phone: 630-448-1133
- Email: ann@thecornergrind.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecornergrind/?hc_ref=ARQAOHJ9pModKFgJH_eQC1lSFWc6dMudzVeVwu_HnTLE4xJVvOrVWwCh4OK2A8E_kzs&fref=nf
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-corner-grind-elburn?osq=the+corner+grind
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