Java Depot satisfies commuters' morning caffeine fix
Busy commuters rushing in for their coffee last week before boarding the trains at Arlington Park's Metra station discovered an unexpected treat -- their daily dose of java was free.
On St. Patrick's Day, every customer stopping by the Java Depot shop inside the station received a free cup of coffee. It was shop owner Susan Doyle's way of celebrating its second anniversary.
"People are always in a hurry, so nobody lingered, but they were very pleased and were genuinely appreciative," said Doyle, an Arlington Heights native and former Rolling Meadows resident now living in Oak Park.
During that one day alone, she figures she doled out more than 150 cups of coffee.
This is Doyle's second Java Depot, after she ran another one in Oak Park for five years. She runs the Arlington Heights shop herself, along with one employee, Columbia College student Eric Schleeper.
Together they dispense everything from a full line of freshly brewed coffee, to espresso, chai, smoothies and bakery items. While they do not bake on the premises, they do receive some unique breakfast items from their East Dundee provider, including gourmet breakfast sandwiches on croissants.
The croissant sandwiches include those with egg, cheese, sausage, artichoke parmesan and spinach mozzarella.
But as an independent shop, Doyle also caters to the unique needs of her commuters. A separate cart features such items as umbrellas, scarves, gloves, headbands and hand warmers, which patrons regularly purchase during the winter.
Doyle spent 13 years in health care at Friendship Village in Schaumburg, while raising her children in Rolling Meadows.
However, she decided to pursue a master's degree in business administration and worked on a six-month project in Seattle when she conceived the idea of opening a coffee shop.
Typically, the shop opens at 5:30 a.m. and remains open until 11 a.m., but she stays open longer during vacations and summer months to accommodate more riders.
"I have to say I just love my customers, they're really, really nice," Doyle says. "It's a happy place to work, and nice to start out their days."