Coffee shop gets Bartlett Metra spot

The days of sleepy-eyed morning commuters facing frightening wind chills on an open platform are finished. Riders will instead have shelter from the storm with a latte in hand. And soon.

Self-proclaimed high-end coffee shop Tazza has been picked to fill the small vendor space in Bartlett's new Metra station. The station is set to open Tuesday.

It's the first caffeine-focused venture for owner Mark Duris, who said Tazza will offer the whole gamut of espresso concoctions, along with other beverages, pastries, fruit and retail items like newspapers, umbrellas and maps.

"Never has so much been talked about over 350 square feet," Trustee T.L. Arends said Tuesday, referring to the four-month selection process.

The village initially had 15 parties interested in leasing the space, but only three came back in August with formal responses. Disappointed, officials considered starting over but concluded that it would be unfair. In the end, Tazza beat out Bartlett business Gift Gourmet and an individual with an incomplete proposal.

With more than 1,200 daily passengers, Bartlett's depot is the second busiest on Metra's Milwaukee District West line.

But will any of them frequent Tazza over that Seattle-based outfit that boasts two Bartlett locations and 19 others nearby?

Duris said the product he's putting out is right up there in quality with Starbucks and has a lower price point.

"I love coffee, but $4.85 for basically milk and coffee is a little ridiculous in our eyes," he said. "We're looking at our prices and convenience as advantages."

Duris said he hopes to sign a contract with the village in the next couple of days and open by the end of the year. He proposes licensing the space for a four-year span at $1,200 per month. It will operate from 5 to 9 a.m. weekdays and some weekends.

According to his extensive business plan, opening Tazza will cost about $34,000. He projects sales will hit $9,000 a month within the first six months of business, based on serving 10 percent of the commuters passing through the station.

"The downtown Bartlett area is one of total growth," Duris said. "I think it'll be a hit."

Tazza may become a chain. Duris, who runs Roselle-based catering business Old Neighborhood Inc., said he's in negotiations to open a scaled-down Tazza at the Belmont Metra station in Downers Grove as well as a store on Lake Street in Roselle.