Commuters will have no excuse for skipping breakfast with a new grab-and-go cafe preparing to open on La Grange.
An early December opening is planned for the Owl & Lark juice and coffee bar at 41 S. La Grange Road as remodeling inside continues, said Birute Cepaityte, one of the owners.
“Our inspiration for the interior was Scandinavian design, clean lines with a lot of white and wood,” Cepaityte said. “We tried to maximize our space as much as possible and make it very functional and minimalistic at the same time.”
The long narrow storefront will seat 18 customers, though more may be accommodated at tables outside during the summer, she said.
“We will serve salads, freshly squeezed juice, smoothies and oatmeal made to order and to go,” Cepaityte said. “That seems simple, but many places around here do not offer that.”
Cepaityte said she and business partner, Lina Kiznyte saw an opening in the La Grange market and developed the concept about a year ago, envisioning a March 2015 opening. But the design, planning, permitting and building process has taken longer than expected, she said.
Two La Grange trustees praised the storefront’s new exterior design featuring gooseneck lights, reclaimed wood for the sign and black trim, before the board granted approval for the project Sept. 28.
Cepaityte, from Glen Ellyn, said La Grange offers a great opportunity for a business.
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“We’ve lived in the area for many years and understand what makes La Grange move,” she said. “We think an establishment like ours will make people happy.”
Cepaityte plans to offer free WiFi and open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Menu items will range from $3 to $15.
The range of hours influenced the cafe’s name, she said.
Owl represents night owls and lark represents the early bird lark,” she said. “We were thinking about the mythological meaning of Owl & Lark as night and day and the need to feel awake during those times,” she said.
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