Downtown dreamin' at Elgin's Domani Cafe
There's plenty of energy at the Domani Cafe in Elgin, and it isn't coming from the coffee or espresso machine.
It emanates from the owner, Leo Urdaneta, who left his job as social studies teacher at Kimball Middle School in Elgin Area School District U-46 last month to purse his next dream.
"My first dream was to own a home," said Urdaneta, who lives in a house on Elgin's west side with his wife, Migdalia and two daughters, Miranda, 7, and Bianca, 6. "My second dream was to have my own shop and business. I love coffee. The first thing I have in the morning is a good cup of coffee."
Urdaneta first spotted the vacant storefront on Highland Avenue in downtown Elgin last December.
He credited the Downtown Neighborhood Association for its support and said the last few months - balancing the needs of his pupils with laying the ground work for his business - were very hectic.
"It was actually very hard for me to stay awake and not live too much in my dream because I know I have my classroom and my students," Urdaneta said. "I want to make this (place) like a family. It is a family business and I want people to feel that when they get here."
So far, the lunch menu at the Domani Cafe is short, but features Urdaneta's "Monk Panini," his own recipe, and the traditional "Cuban Sandwich."
He plans to have sidewalk dining by this weekend and hopes to have a solid client base when road construction hits his portion of Highland next year at this time.
Urdaneta picked this location because he believes good things are in store for the downtown and Elgin also is where his wife grew up.
"Elgin has everything. It has architecture, it has mixed culture and ethnicity. It's close to everything I have right now," he said. "I think pretty soon Elgin is going to bloom and it's going to be like downtown St. Charles or Geneva or better. We're getting there."
Tonya Hudson, DNA executive director, said her group worked with building owner Jerry Goldstein to find the right match for the spot.
"The storefront had been vacant for almost a year. We had lots of people interested," Hudson said. "It's the story I'd like to be able to tell over and over again in the future when we have businesses come to downtown."
One of the criteria was an owner who was going to be committed to being part of the downtown's revitalization.
"When I met Leo, I just knew he was the right person and Jerry thought so too," Hudson recalled. "What Leo brings to the table is an amazing focus on customer service, especially for his business. Being a coffee shop and a deli, he has the perfect personality."
<p class="factboxheadblack">Domani Cafe</p> <p class="News"><b>Where: </b>109 E. Highland Ave., Elgin</p> <p class="News"><b>Hours:</b> 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday; closed Sundays</p> <p class="News"><b>Menu:</b> Coffee, espresso, sandwiches, snacks and paninis</p> <p class="News"><b>Call: </b>(847) 695-8851 </p>