Today we’d like to introduce you to Tom Rosenfeld.
Tom, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
The Heartland Cafe was opened in 1976 as a meeting place for progressive politics, featuring vegetarian options on the menu and showcasing live music. In 2005, I started an organic farm – Earth First Farms – in SW Michigan. As a long-time Rogers Park resident, Heartland was my favorite neighborhood restaurant. In 2012 the opportunity to buy Heartland presented itself and I seized on it as a way to bring my organic produce to a Chicago audience.
Heartland today has much of the same parts, with an updating of the food and space. We have a full live music venue in our main bar, hosting music almost every night of the week. We feature a full-service natural food grocery store, our main dining room with a full menu and a made-to-order juice bar. We source responsibly and are proud to feature 100% certified organic produce in our restaurant, market and juice bar. We are active composter and operate under a very detailed and extensive sustainability plan.
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?
There are many challenges in running any restaurant in Chicago – that being the weather. But I think our biggest challenge has been cutting through the noise to get the word out about what we do in our restaurant. Our farm is no hobby farm-Earth First Farms is a 49 acre certified organic apple orchard and fruit and vegetable farm.
We grow specifically for the restaurant, and we shape our menu around the farm. And then we cook everything from scratch. We make our own sauces, seitan, kimchi, sauerkraut, cornbread and all main menu items. Since our meals don’t come out of a bag or the freezer, we are able to accommodate so many dietary needs.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Heartland Cafe story. Tell us more about the business.
Already mentioned much of this – the things that set us apart are:
– We are an active political entity. We do more than host political events. We engage in politics, use our platforms to promote ideas and candidates that we believe in, use our space for organizing and we maintain a political coordinator on staff to keep the activity straight.
– We use 100% certified organic produce. There are very few (I actually don’t know of any in Chicago) restaurants that actually do this.
– We have a thoughtful, curated vegetarian menu that is presented with meat options, as well.
– The fact that I am both restaurant owner and farmer is unique.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck? We have good luck all the time – when a meal goes well when customers run into each other here and hug when I get to see a baby smiling or a knowing, contented glance between couples after a meal, I consider that lucky.
Pricing:
- $7/$8 juices and smoothies
- $3.60 for a 12oz Arize Kombucha on tap
- Breakfast and lunch from $8 – $12
- Dinners from $10 – $14
Contact Info:
- Address: 7000 N. Glenwood Avenue Chicago, IL 60626
- Website: www.heartlandcafe.com
- Phone: (773) 465-8005
- Email: info@heartlandcafe.com
- Instagram: @theheartlandcafe
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHeartlandCafe/
- Twitter: @heartlandcafe
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