The Flossmoor village board voted to a approve a request for an economic incentive and liquor license for a new cafe, Beyond Borders, at the June 16 meeting.
The cafe will be located at 1036 Sterling Ave. Owners Chris and Jennifer Zarozny said they plan to operate an artisan coffee shop with a small food menu and offer beer and wine in the evenings. The business will be open daily.
The business must meet specific requirements to be up to code as a dining establishment including having two ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant bathrooms with one bathroom needing to be converted and the other to be built.
The owners requested $17,400 in tax increment financing (TIF) assistance to help construct the second ADA-compliant bathroom and an open site drain behind the counter.
With the cafe being in the downtown TIF district, which currently has a balance of $93,000 as of April 30, Village Attorney Kathleen Orr recognized the request as an acceptable TIF expense.
The other part of the request contained details on the liquor license for wine and beer service.
The board first discussed Beyond Borders needs at the June 7 board meeting. The Zaroznys spoke at the board meeting.
Trustee George Lofton asked about the food menu and if it would transition to something different in the evenings.
Chris Zarozny said they plan to be a cafe with grab-and-go food options. Once the liquor license is approved, the business will transition into serving lite fare, such as cheese trays and meat trays.
Trustee Kevin Dorsey asked where the coffee was sourced from. Chris Zarozny said they work with the coffee roasting company, Conscious Cup, that sources coffee globally. The coffee the cafe will be serving is mainly sourced from Ethiopia, Costa Rica and Panama.
Trustee Rosalind Mustafa asked about their business experience.
Chris Zarozny said they do not have experience specifically in the food industry, but they both have experience in service-oriented work. Jennifer Zarozny said after being in Flossmoor for four years they realized there were not many local coffee shops.
When they came across the property on Sterling Avenue, they felt it would be a good business investment for them and Flossmoor. Chris Zarozny said the cafe will have a retro 1930s-1940s theme.
