Primo’s Café & Deli, a café and diner, celebrated its grand opening at 2057 Ridge Road in downtown Homewood on Friday, March 7.

Primo’s owner Scott Donkel cut the blue ribbon with Homewood Mayor Rich Hofeld, other Homewood village officials and the cafe’s communication manager, Amy Donkel-Rohne, Donkel’s daughter. 

The diner sells specialty coffee and Italian sandwiches and retail items such as basil-infused olive oil and freshly roasted coffee beans.

Amy said the business’s retail side caters to customers who want to prepare its menu items at home, adding that she hopes Primo’s can become a resource to answer questions about cooking Italian food.

Coffee at Primo’s is freshly roasted by Counter Culture, a North Carolina-based coffee roaster with sites in Chicago. 

“Counter Culture – it’s a very high-end coffee company,” Scott said. “They’re top notch, very sustainable, eco-friendly and they give back a lot to communities.”

Jay Rohne, Amy’s husband and the cafe’s store clerk and coffee director, said he hopes the coffee options satisfy both coffee connoisseurs and customers unfamiliar with specialty coffee.

“I want to do some coffee education in the café as well,” Rohne said, adding that he hopes to eventually teach community members how to make pour-over coffee, espresso and latte art at home.

Amy called Primo’s a “place for people to gather with ample seating.” It has cushioned seating and outlets for customers to charge their phones or laptops.

Flossmoor resident Charlotte Smith attended the grand opening. While working on her laptop, she sipped a vanilla oat milk latte and ate a breakfast sandwich. 

“I work from home and just needed a change of scenery for today. So, I wanted to support a local business instead of going to a larger chain,” Smith said, adding that Primo’s is clean and comfortable. “The décor is beautiful. The artwork is beautiful. It feels like a friendly space.”

“It’s a store that was empty for a while, and it’s nice to see it in use,” Hofeld said. “They have a lot of Italian sandwiches, a lot of offerings that are unlike what you can get elsewhere in town. So, come on over to Primo’s and try it out.”

“We are absolutely excited for yet another investment in our downtown,” Homewood Village Manager Napoleon Haney said. “Our downtown has grown and become so popular that people are willing to stake their entire life, their worth, their funding and their resources to build and open something in our downtown.”

“It’s going to have that homey vibe that we try to build in the community,” Homewood Assistant Village Manager Terence Acquah said. “It’s just another place that people in Homewood can meet. Everybody in Homewood has their spot. And I’m curious to see whose spot Primo’s and Ridgewood becomes.”

The Donkel family also owns The Ridgewood, the bar next door to Primo’s.