St. Charles riverfront coffee shop gets new name, hours

After six years in downtown St. Charles, Kava Diem coffee shop has a new name — Maple Leaf Coffee House — to reflect the brand of its new owners’ wholesale coffee business.

Partners Alex Behrens and Molly Duntemann, who also own Maple Leaf Coffee Roasters in Roselle, bought the cafe at 1 W. Illinois St. in September and are making a few changes.

Behrens said they are maintaining the great parts of Kava Diem, including much of the staff. The rebranding makes the connection between the cafe and their coffee business more obvious and the change in ownership more evident to guests, he added.

Maple Leaf Coffee Roasters is a wholesale coffee roasting business that sells globally sourced coffee beans online and at its storefront, 352 E. Irving Park Road in Roselle.

The cafe’s rebranding, including a new logo, website and signage, are in place for a soft opening this week, when it also unveiled several new menu items. They include bagels, gluten-free toast, sourdough and new vegan options.

The cafe will be offering special promotions and sales on bags of coffee each weekend in February, Behrens said. They’re also planning to open an hours earlier — 7 a..m. — daily.

Behrens said he appreciates all the community support the cafe received around the holidays. While January has been slow because of the weather, he is looking forward to spring, when they plan to renovate the patio. He said the footprint of the patio overlooking the Fox River won’t change, but it will be a better looking and more comfortable space for guests to relax in the summer.

For more information on promotions, new hours and events, visit the Maple Leaf Coffee House website, www.mapleleafcafe.com, or Facebook page.