Corner House to sell coffee at Lombard train station

The coffee shop that opened in April in downtown Lombard soon will be expanding to the village’s train station under a vendor agreement approved this week.

The Corner House plans to open a second coffee and pastry counter at the Lombard train depot in early or mid-November, owner Mohd Assaf said.

The train station shop will be only about a block from The Corner House’s main location at 100 W. St. Charles Road, but Assaf said convenience is an important factor for time-crunched commuters.

“It will be easier for them, closer and hopefully we’ll get some more business,” he said.

The shop at the station will offer a menu similar to The Corner House’s, but with an increased focus on coffee drinks and pastries instead of sandwiches, dessert and gelato. It will be open from 5 to 10 a.m. Monday to Friday after Assaf completes remodeling, plumbing and electric work and hires a few more employees.

The two-year agreement makes Assaf and his staff responsible for cleaning the train station’s restrooms and waiting area instead of paying rent to the village. The village reached out to The Corner House to fill the coffee shop vacancy created by the recent closing of The Perk, which had sold coffee in the station since spring 2009.