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Conscious Cup is Brewing Something Special in Downtown Palatine

Conscious Cup Coffee Roasters in downtown Palatine opened its doors at the Metra Station in December of 2021, and is one of five suburban locations serving up some of the finest coffees from around the world. The business boasts a vast selection of sustainable and ethically sourced coffees, along with teas and baked goods, and specializes in consulting and catering, along with retail and wholesale offerings.

Michael Shipley is one of the current managing partners and started the business with his family. His parents, Roseanna and Jack, are still involved in the business with Michael today. They opened their first café in Crystal Lake in 2006, followed by Barrington in 2013, Cary in 2019, and Libertyville in 2020.

A core mission of the business - which was the first independent specialty coffee roaster in the Chicago suburbs - is to lead the specialty coffee movement by providing ethically sourced and sustainable coffee, while also offering a place for community members to gather.

"We are very proud to bring high quality coffee to the area suburbs," Michael Shipley said. "We believe coffee is a conduit for connecting people, and each of our locations has grown unique communities that appreciate the care we show to the environment."

Conscious Cup features single origin coffees grown by small producers from some of the best coffee farms across the globe, which represent the top 2-3% of coffee varieties available. On the menu, you'll see drip coffee, traditional espresso drinks, hand-crafted lattes, pour-overs, cold and nitro brews, and a variety of teas - with chai made in-house. The business also produces small batch syrups made from scratch, weekly.

Drip coffee is rotated daily, giving customers the chance to sample a range of selections including both blends and single origins, even offering those grown on a micro lot coffee farm - meaning the coffee can be traced back to a specific farm or harvest.

Other offerings include fresh fruit smoothies, along with baked goods - many of which are locally sourced, including donuts from Palatine's own, Spunky Dunkers, along with vegan and gluten free options from local bakeries.

The sense of community built at each location is also an important business emphasis.

"We see Conscious Cup as a place to engage with local community members and provide a way for them to connect with each other," said Brian Finn, the Palatine location shop manager. "Palatine residents have been very welcoming, and our charming and friendly baristas always take the opportunity to make someone's day when they come in."

Finn added that more than half of the people who visit the Palatine location are regulars, and include weekday commuters, a weekend running group, and visitors from the Summer and Winter Farmers Market held in the Metra parking lot on Saturdays.

With more than 17 years of experience in the coffee/café business, Conscious Cup consults with other cafés to help them "get off the ground." They did just that for Stompin' Grounds, a healthy alternative café located in Lake Zurich, along with The Other Side Café and Sober Bar in Crystal Lake, which offers coffee, non-alcoholic drinks and late-night music. Consulting services include assistance with building business concepts, location layout, product lines, training and implementation.

Espresso catering is also one of the businesses' specialties, serving small to large events, including luncheons, teacher appreciation events, weddings, high end corporate events, and others.

Conscious Cup is currently finalizing the building of a brand-new facility, which will serve as a central location to roast their coffee beans and for all kitchen operations. Looking toward the future, this new facility will also allow them to expand product lines to include retail syrups and potentially even ready-to-drink canned coffees.

"We are very deliberate on welcoming people when they walk in our door, and remain focused on high-end, quality products that add a unique flavor to the communities we are located in," Shipley said.

For more information, please visit consciouscup.com.

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