Des Plaines commuters can get morning caffeine fix

Des Plaines-area commuters will once again be able to grab a cup of java before boarding downtown Metra trains in the morning.

The city council this week approved a lease with the owner of a downtown eatery, Brasserie Pizza located in the Library Plaza, to operate the Metra station coffee shop.

The city owns the 125-square-foot portion of the Metra station at 1501 Miner St. that serves as the coffee shop. It's been operated by various vendors over the years and has been vacant since the most recent vendor, Kaffecino, closed four months ago.

City officials recently sent out requests for proposals to 18 potential vendors and received only two responses, said Michael Conlan, Des Plaines director of community and economic development.

Conlan said having an established restaurant operate the coffee shop as a satellite operation could improve its chances of survival.

The coffee shop will operate from 6 and 9:30 a.m.