By Stephanie Irvine
Word must have spread fast about the opening of Peaceful Grounds Coffee Company, because the line of thirsty patrons waiting patiently for their caffeine fix was to the door for the first few hours of opening day, with a steady flow thereafter.
“The response has been outstanding,” said Brent Barajas, one of the owners of Peaceful Grounds Coffee Company. The second Paul went to open the door, about 20 people jumped out of their cars — they were waiting in the parking lot because of the cold, I’m assuming.”
“It’s been awesome,” he added, grinning ear-to-ear with the success of opening day.
Peaceful Grounds Coffee Company is just south of Wilson Creek Elementary School and First School in the center of the Manhattan Station strip mall at Sweedler and Gougar Roads. Inside, there is a rentable meeting room, a kids’ room with chalkboard walls, and several nooks and tables for people to meet, eat, drink, and chat.
The coffee shop is a joint venture between Barajas and his wife, Holly, her brother, Jonathan Tough, and her parents, Cheryl and Paul Wellman.
“It’s a family thing,” Cheryl Wellman said with a smile.
Together, they employ 13 people to staff the shop.
“It’s been a long dream. When I was pregnant with Holly, I always said I wanted to have a coffee shop — somewhere it was cozy where people could come in,” Wellman said. “We started talking more and more that we love our little town, but there’s no place to go and have coffee. We should really open the coffee shop we were talking about forever.”
“Our goal was to service what we felt like Manhattan didn’t have,” Holly Barajas explained, adding, “We always had to leave Manhattan for lunch or to go have a coffee.”
The coffee shop serves people from all walks of life, from working professionals and business owners to teenagers and families.
Mackenzie Sallese and her friend Lily Goyer, both 16 of Manhattan, shared their thoughts as they patiently waited their turn.
“I’m looking forward to trying the coffee — all the cute pastries and desserts,” Sallese said, adding, “I feel like I always get a fun drink before school, and normally they’re so expensive, but looking at the menu, the prices look very affordable.”
“I’m surprised how big it is, but it’s cozy in here,” Goyer said.
They weren’t alone in their thoughts.
“I love it!” said Dawn Bird, of Manhattan, about her experience before adding, “I love the atmosphere; I like the food they have to go with it. I like how you can sit and relax, which a lot of places don’t have. The whole staff and the owners are so nice and very welcoming.”
Sourcing coffee beans was a challenge, but the crew found beans through local means.
“We first looked for local roasters,” Holly said, explaining, “So one of our beans, our Ethiopian Light Roast, comes from Clancy’s Coffee in Mokena, and we partnered with a gentleman from Frankfort, Jollmac Coffee, which are all specialty coffees, Arabica, high-quality farmed organic.”
Jollmac Coffee’s Dave Nozar attended the opening and talked with customers about his coffee at Peaceful Grounds, which is sourced from Temecula, California.
“This is a clean coffee cafe, meaning the coffee is fresh roast to order. They order on Friday, we roast it on Monday, it was here Thursday for them, and it’s in the machines right now for customers,” Nozar said. The beans won’t sit on the shelf and grow stale this way; plus, customers can rest assured knowing the flavor profiles won’t change.
“We really wanted everything we had to be specialty — but we wanted the good taste,” Holly explained.
They achieved that mission based on what customers had to say.
“I ordered the Mexican blend cold brew with a shot of espresso, and you can see how nice and dark it is,” said Ed Andrews of New Lenox, “It’s excellent!”
“It’s definitely worth a stop!” Andrews, who works in Indiana, said he will have to figure out how to fit this into his commute.
The menu includes more than specialty coffees. They’ll have refreshers, boba bubbles, smoothies, and different types of tea (hot, cold, and organic herbal teas).
“We source our tea from Two Leaves Tea Company, and that comes from the fact there are two leaves and a bud at the top of a tea plant, which are the most flavorful,” Holly explained, noting that store-bought tea bags often contain a lot of filler, which this tea won’t have.
Customers can come hungry, too, as its menu has a wide assortment of traditional breakfast sandwiches, croissants, and pastries. For lunch, customers can choose from a bacon cheddar sandwich with garlic mayonnaise, roast beef and cheddar sandwich with horseradish aioli, grilled cheese, tuna salad, various soups, cookies, and chips.
Meghan and James Fountain of Manhattan stopped in to try a bite to eat.
“It’s pretty good — the food is delicious!” James said of his turkey sandwich and chili.
“This is a much better space to be able to meet and collaborate on things,” Meghan said of the new space, adding that she just told a girlfriend about the shop after her experience. She enjoyed a blueberry muffin, which she also said was delicious.
Opening day also brought in Mayor Mike Adrieansen, trustees, and the administrator, who stopped in separately to get a taste.
“The cinnamon roll is amazing,” note Ashley Young, who was there with her son and parents. Her husband, Trustee Justin Young, came by later with their daughter.
“I think it’s a good addition,” said Cyndy Lucente. “I think the atmosphere is great, and it’s a good idea to have a meeting space, because I meet clients from time-to-time, and it’s hard to think of a place to go where you can have some privacy. It’s smart!”
The homegrown coffee shop offers a slower pace than the Dunkin’ drive-through operation, and Manhattan residents welcomed it with open arms.
“We wanted that warm, homey feel,” Wellman explained.
The family has big plans for the coffee shop’s future beyond just serving hot brews and treats, including hosting fundraisers and helping with community events.
“It’s fun to see our vision come to life,” Brent said.
Peaceful Grounds Coffee Company will be open for regular business hours, Monday through Friday, from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday 9 a.m. to noon, beginning on Wednesday, December 11.
Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.