Wheaton library board chooses coffee cafe vendor

After hearing presentations from two vendors, the Wheaton Public Library board agreed Monday to sign a contract that will allow a new business called Cafe on the Park to open later this year in a soon-to-be renovated space on the western end of the building.

"This was really a difficult decision because they were both very, very confident," said board member Barbara Wonser.

The two vendors that were vying for the opportunity were River City Roasters, which has a retail location about two blocks from the library, and Cafe on the Park, a joint venture by Pete Leonard, owner of the Wheaton-based I Have A Bean Coffee, and Mel Yarmat, owner of Jo & Doh! Donuts.

Leonard founded I Have A Bean in 2007 and started roasting coffee commercially at 657 Childs St. in 2009. He has sold his coffee at the Wheaton French Market for four years and donated his product to many organizations throughout the city.

Jo & Doh! has two retail operations in Naperville and a new location in Freeport that have a loyal following, Yarmat said.

A committee composed of Library Director Betsy Adamowski, board President Christine Fenne, city Director of Economic Development Jim Kozik, and an architect recommended that the board select Cafe on the Park as a vendor.

"(Our recommendation) is based upon their better understanding of the staffing that would need to be in place, as well as we feel they would have better offering in terms of food choices," Fenne said.

The committee also agreed that Cafe on the Park seemed to have a stronger sales and marketing effort, and they felt both businesses have a bigger following that has come with their longevity.

"We think they would be poised to have more unique offerings and be something completely new," Fenne said.

Cafe on the Park's menu items will include a variety of doughnuts and other pastries, sandwiches, chips and cookies, along with I Have A Bean coffee, tea and other snacks and drinks.

Leonard and Yarmat said they took a look at other library cafes, including Elmhurst and Batavia and felt that they were "not particularly exciting."

"We try to have fun," Yarmat said, adding that they refuse to do "anything that isn't quality."

Like River City Roasters, Leonard and Yarmat said they plan to host educational, coffee-related events, such as coffee tastings and demonstrations on how to cook with coffee or brew better coffee at home.

Both vendors said they would like to bring musical performances to the cafe, but Leonard said he has strong ties with performers from Wheaton College who already said they are "100 percent on board" with playing at the cafe.

In addition, Leonard said he wants to use the outdoor patio to the fullest, by possibly adding tables with umbrellas and a bench that would wrap around the curved windows of the cafe.

Leonard and Yarmat said they hope to open for business within four weeks of receiving a certificate of occupancy from the city and the DuPage Health Department. They plan to be open during library hours and hope to add additional hours to capture all the traffic going in and through Adams Park.