Business: Lavazza Naperville
Address: 2155 CityGate Lane, Naperville
Phone/website: 630-579-7830, www.lavazzanaperville.com
Owner: John Calamos Sr.
Director of Outlets for Hotel Food and Beverage for CityGate Hospitality: Matt Thomas, 33, of Chicago
Director of Communications for CityGate Hospitality: Starr Lycos McCaffery, 59, of Aurora
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Years in business: 14
What does your business do? “We’re a traditional Italian coffee shop. We try to bring a little bit of Italy to Naperville, down to the style of shots we use. Ristretto, a smaller more flavorful shot for espresso. We do a traditional drip coffee, so it’s one part coffee to 16 parts water. That gives you the best overall sweetness,” Thomas said.
Is business good? “It is. We have certainly bounced back from the pandemic. It’s nice to see. We’re seeing more people lounge in here. Obviously, during the pandemic, we saw a lot of people taking things to go,” Thomas said.
“This morning, when I walked in at 10 to 10, it was full. There was one table open,” Lycos McCaffery said.
Did the pandemic shut your doors? “We were only closed for about a week. … We are exceeding 2019 numbers here. We’ve bounced back and then some,” Thomas said.
What’s Lavazza’s history? “It started as a family coffee maker in Italy and has been around for generations,” Lycos McCaffery said. “Personally, I only knew of one other (location) in the city before I started working here five years ago. But they are all over the world.”
What makes this experience special? “It’s about the crafting. It’s about enjoying the love and effort that went into that cup. It’s not just about getting caffeine in the fastest way possible. It’s about enjoying the craft, the skill. … Certainly, we have the (Hotel Arista) aspect that’s attached to this as well. We want to create that environment to allow people to hang out and enjoy their morning,” Thomas said.
Where are the beans from? “We use a bit of Colombia, Brazil, Mexico. It varies. They target a flavor profile, not so much a region,” Thomas said.
Why is coffee so big in our lives? “I attribute that to our food culture. You see a stronger appreciation for ingredients as newer, creative chefs have come up. … That sort of trickles down. It all comes back to food,” Thomas said.
Did Lavazza seek out Naperville? “Mr. Calamos and his wife travel around the world,” Thomas said.
“Mrs. Calamos likes to bring back experiences from their world travels,” Lycos McCaffery said.
Do you enjoy your work? “I started here in August of last year. I do enjoy it. It’s a different environment,” Thomas said.
What do you like most? “Every day is a little different. … I have a passion for food and beverage. I worked as a chef for years, as a bartender, a barista. I get to utilize all those skills and help lift others up to new heights,” Thomas said.
What’s new? “We’re working on (adding) some very traditional Italian cocktails for here,” Thomas said.
Is it more than coffee here? “In addition to baked goods, there’s a full lunch menu, a full breakfast menu,” Lycos McCaffery said. “It’s not just getting a croissant and running out the door.”
Is there a busy time? “We see the early-morning coffee crew come through about 6 to 8. From 8 to about 11, we see the lounge crowd, people who like to sit and enjoy the space, enjoy the coffee, have meetings. After 11, it’s people in for a quick bite. It really is an all-day space,” Thomas said.
“Lavazza is such a unique brand. There are a lot of coffee shops out there. The flavor here is different,” Lycos McCaffery added.
What misconceptions do people have? “Out in the suburbs, we have the Starbucks crowd. People thinking it’s that style of coffee. It’s very different. … We have made concessions, having 20-ounce coffees, the sugary syrups. If we can attract people with those things, get them to try something new,” Thomas said.
What should people try? “Our orange mocha mio is a standard here. An Italian orange syrup with our Italian dark chocolate we make here in house in the form of a latte. Think of a candied orange segment dipped in chocolate,” Thomas said.
Any future plans? “We’re working on a refresh of the design here. … Get away from the reds, moving to navy blue, gold, update the seating,” Thomas said.
What’s your advice for someone starting a business? “Make sure your location is right. Location makes a huge difference for any business, especially food and beverage,” Thomas said.
If you know of a business you’d like to see to profiled in Down to Business, contact Steve Metsch at [email protected].
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Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.