Overflow Coffee Blog

New Yoga Class starts this Thursday, June 11 at 6:30pm

2015-06-08T09:32:00.000-05:00

We're sharing this announcement from Daystar Center because BOTH yoga AND Alix, herself, seem to be aligned with Overflow's values.

New Yoga Class

Thursday evenings, starting June 11, 6:30-7:30pm, $7 per class

Thursday night Yoga Class is taught by Alixandra Foisy, certified Yoga teacher. This yoga style is similar to Forrest yoga where poses are held and breath is utilized to calm the body. Appropriate for beginner and intermediate experience levels, students will grow in strength and learn body alignment techniques. Alix tailors each class to the needs of the attendees, and presents the practice in a way that keeps it playful and fun. She desires to provide space within the practice to experience emotions and a deep connection with one’s physical self.

Read more about Alix here.

Something Fresh is Happening!

2015-05-13T14:47:00.000-05:00

So many women live in poverty, not because they lack abilities, but because they lack opportunity. Overflow is joining with Trades of Hope to give women around the world that opportunity for a better life. Each woman has a story, and with Trades of Hope's help, their story has changed from pain and struggle to a story of hope! We're excited to further these stories.

Here's a video sharing the story of one Trades of Hope artisan in Uganda:

Trades of Hope works with the artisans themselves and organizations that are helping women in difficult circumstances. Some women have been rescued from sex slavery. Others are raising handicapped children alone. Some are in war torn countries and others have aids and leprosy. These women have never had the chances we've had, yet they are just like us in so many ways. They love their families and hope and dream of a better life for them.

Here are the various ways you can make a purchase and give a gift to yourself or to a friend that also gives a gift to a woman in poverty and her community:

Shop at Overflow the next time you're in. We have select items available for direct purchase.
Shop online at mytradesofhope.com/overflowcoffeebar. All items are available and can be shipped to any address in the United States.
Host a party with your friends. More info here.

In case you need some enticement, here's an online promo that starts soon:

Thank you for changing the world with us!

You Don't Have to Only Drink Overflow Coffee

2015-04-13T07:34:00.001-05:00

But please, please, please drink direct trade!

Two new direct trade offerings are available for the South Loop.

Spoke and Bird opened this year (yay for being locally owed and operated!).
La Haven will open soon.

We couldn't be more excited that there's more ethical coffee being served in the South Loop. There's a couple restaurants that also use direct trade coffee. We can't mention them all (ask your waitstaff at your favorite places).

Obviously, we still think we're the best. No offense to the others. :-)

If you're reading this and live outside the South Loop, come visit!

There are lots of coffee and food options for brunch, dinner, date night, get togethers, etc.
Visit a museum.
Take a pit stop on the way to a White Sox game.
Visit one of our many parks.

A Journey Into Ethical Economics

2015-04-11T14:36:00.000-05:00

written by Amanda Neely*

We are all consumers. We have to eat, drink, and be clothed. We can't stop consuming unless we want to go totally off the grid and survive off our own homestead (if that's what you want to do, more power to you!).

I was exposed to Fair Trade in college and have spent all my adult years trying to figure out how to make more and more of my consumption ethical. It's been hard. I'm not totally there yet. But it's been totally worth it.

My journey started in college. I actually wanted to major in economics when I arrived my first year. I had gone to econ camp in high school and loved what I learned about supply and demand and such. But when I met upperclassmen who were majoring in econ, I realized that path wasn't for me. I cared a lot about people and wanted to make decisions in my life based on how they affect real people, not based on logic, science or economic theory. In case you're wondering, I ended up studying psychology and minoring in music but took as many social science classes as I could.

There is no single moment I can point to when I started thinking about ethical economics but several smaller circumstances that added up (you'll see this pattern again before we're done).

My university served fair trade coffee in our cafeterias so my first cups of coffee to stay awake when my first finals approached were fair trade.
One of my professors added Fast Food Nation to our syllabus and I learned about how inhumanely animals and humans are treated in our fast food system.
I took a class my last quarter called "Love in the Time of Capitalism" and learned how our evolving economics have transformed our relationships - marriages, families, friendships, all of them.

In short, during college, my mind and my emotions were awakened to how our economic system works and its flaws.

Then, I took that giant leap into the real world. Like most recent college grads, I didn't have a lot of money so I was faced with the challenge of continuing my ethical economics journey without being able to spend a lot for products that actually paid people well and took care of the planet.

In the almost 10 years that have passed since, I learned quite a bit about what I can do. Here are two examples:

I might not be able to buy fair labor clothing all the time but I can always afford thrift stores. Thrift stores are not adding to the slavery system that produces many of the clothes we wear. Plus, there's an added environmental impact of reusing materials so that no new materials need to be produced.
I couldn't necessarily afford to buy all my food locally and certified organic but switched my milk and eggs. When I'm able, I buy other items locally and certified organic but these two products have been any easy switch and are probably making a significant contribution to my overall health, not to mention the health of farmers, cattle, chickens, and our ecosystem.

Most significantly, this journey has led me to start a coffee shop that promotes ethical economics. We go beyond fair trade to offer direct trade coffee, tea, and chocolate. Our baker uses local, non-GMO ingredients. We have a gift shop with fair trade artisan products from around the world. Plus, we improve our entire product sourcing as we're able.

I've also learned some related principles.

First, it is not just about switching my purchasing habits to more ethical products but also about buying less. For example, it's virtually impossible to produce smart phones and other technology without using slave labor. There's a particular mineral needed, 90% of which comes from slavery conditions. So, I have learned to only upgrade my technology as needed. I don't need the latest and greatest cell phone. I can wait until my current phone breaks before purchasing something new. It's not that big of a sacrifice and it actually helps me feel better about my actions.

I've also learned that I can't just spread this awareness or consciousness about the impact of consumption on the planet and the people who live here. Along with rising consciousness, I need to help people take action. When people are aware of issues but don't have something tangible to do to correct that injustice, I have noticed that they become jaded and cynical to the issue. They lose their sense of empathy and compassion for those most affected by injustice. Yet, I believe and have witnessed that when people have something tangible to do, however small, we do it and trust that we are making a difference.

Trust is a big related principle too. This whole concept of ethical economics takes a lot of trust. I need to trust that my small actions aren't just a drip in a huge bucket that never gets full. I need to trust that others are also dripping into this same bucket by their small actions and thereby making it much more likely that our positive dripping will amount to a bucket full of positivity that overflows with positive results to the entire world. Just like those small circumstances in college made a difference in my life, I trust that my small positive actions, along with others around the world doing similar things, positively transform the future.

Martin Luther King, Jr. said that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice anywhere. I would spin that into a positive, ethical economics anywhere add up to change the economic system everywhere.

*This is an opinion piece and only reflects the current views of the writer. It does not reflect the views of Daystar School, Daystar Center, Overflow Coffee Bar, their employees, or their leadership. The writer acknowledges that her views might change over time and welcomes you to communicate your thoughts about ethical economics to her so that her views are enriched by your own.

Why "The Quiet Workshop" Relates to Drinking Ethical Coffee

2015-03-31T11:41:00.000-05:00

In partnership with Daystar Center, we're hosting The Quiet Workshop on Saturday, May 30, 2015. The idea is that we spend the majority of our lives being stressed and busy. What if we took 8 hours on 1 day to begin to address our stress and busyness? Could we step out of the traffic, see how it feels, and perhaps incorporate some quiet into our every day lives?

What does this have to do with drinking coffee that's good for the farmers and the planet?

EVERYTHING.

Both have to do with purposeful living (one of Overflow's values).
Both have to do with actually thinking about why we do what we do - from where we spend our money to how we spend our time.
Both are about the habits we build INTO our lives to help build UP our lives (and the lives of others).

If this seems up your alley, we invite you to check out the full details. Register early for a $20 discount and to reserve your seat before it fills up. Space is limited to 40 people so there's lots of value to the workshop.

Nichols Farm CSA is coming back to Overflow!

2015-03-24T11:15:00.000-05:00

We're excited to welcome back Nichols Farm for the 2015 season!

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It's about relationship. You get local, fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables while building a relationship with a local farmer (in this case the Nichols family).

Nichols has made some improvements for the coming season:

All members also receive a 20% discount on any farmers market purchases.
Expanding partnership with Local Thyme to include more weekly recipes and tips to best utilize your CSA share.
Now offering a half share that is every other week for those who thought it was just too much produce.

This 3rd one is probably the most exciting for people who were hesitant to sign up previously.

Find out more and sign up at this link.

Full disclosure: Overflow is not getting paid to host this CSA. We might receive a box of fruits and veggies to split among the staff. People who come to pick up their food might make a purchase from Overflow. We're not sure what might happen. Primarily, we're doing this because it's the right thing to do.

Thoughts on Our 4 Year Anniversary

2015-03-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

Today marks 4 years since we opened to the public on March 18, 2011. In case you're wondering, the day after St. Patrick's Day is most definitely a great day to open a coffee shop, at least in Chicago. I'm sure you can imagine why.

The past 4 years have had their ups and downs.

We knew when we chose the South Loop neighborhood that we had an uphill battle in front of us. The South Loop just doesn't have the population density of other neighborhoods. Plus, it is still perceived as "scary" by some who live north of us so they don't visit for eating, drinking, or shopping. Even more-so in 2011 than in 2015.

We were, are, and will be willing to fight this uphill battle because we believe the long term benefit will be worth it. We envision that, if we put in the effort at the beginning when small businesses around us was somewhat scarce, we'd become a neighborhood institution. Even if lots of competition opened up later, we hope we'll be so ingrained in the South Loop that no one could compete with our South Loop neighborhoodliness. Besides, the more direct trade coffee being consumed the better!

Did we accomplish this vision? Hard to tell. But I think that, if we were gone, we'd be missed by lots of folks.

So, what got us through the past 4 years? In a word, perseverance. Even when the going got tough, we pushed through. We tightened our belts. We put in long hours. We never gave up or backed down. We went through the pits of despair and kept our hope alive. We won't bore you with all the details but I can tell you I wouldn't want to live through it again. I would add that we didn't persevere alone. There were lots of friends, family, loyal customers who stood with us and helped us when we couldn't keep going on our own.

What's next? We're close to becoming profitable and then the sky is the limit. We've got some great ideas along the lines of Placemaking, a real South Loop Chamber of Commerce, franchising, and further mentoring/coaching of others who want to start coffee shops of their own. There's still a lot of slavery in the world as people produce coffee, clothing, flowers, sugar, etc. There is still lots of work to do and we're not giving up anytime soon. Face it. You're stuck with us. :-)

Support our mission.

Give a birthday gift.

Join the movement of people committed to changing the world through our purchasing power, time, and talents.

Click here.

A Story of a Lady Who Is Embodying Overflow's Mission

2015-02-24T08:26:00.000-06:00

If you've been around us or at Overflow in the past 18 months, and especially the last 6, you might recognize this lady.

This woman's name is Mary Ayres. She is Amanda's mom. She's had a rough journey over the past 3 years. She retired 3½ years ago. Then, in February 2012 (shortly before Overflow's 1st birthday), she had a stroke that has left her with aphasia, an acquired language disorder caused by damage to the brain, in her case the stroke. Aphasia makes Mary have extreme difficulty remembering words and she has lost most of her ability to speak, read, and write. She is still very intelligent but has issues with communicating - both sharing her thoughts and understanding what others are trying to share.

Due to Mary's stroke, she and Virgil, Amanda's dad, moved to Chicago in August 2013. They made the move so that Amanda could pay their bills, file their taxes, communicate with their doctors, and an increasing number of things they couldn't do for themselves as they got older.

Then the unexpected happened. In June of last year (2014), Mary lost her husband of 34 years. Now we are totally responsible for caring for Mary for the 20 plus years of life she has left to enjoy. And how, you ask, are we helping her get the most out of life when she is disabled by aphasia???

This is where Overflow and Mary intersect! Instead of staying home alone doing practically nothing while we work long hours, Mary spends 4 days a week at Overflow (that leaves 2 days to be home alone, and 1 family day where none of us work).

Since Mary is hanging out, she has started to build relationships with some of Overflow's customers.

On Monday mornings, a group of women about the same age as her have invited her to be part of their women's group. She can't say much but she really likes to feel included and involved in their lives.
On Thursdays, a group of parents from the school in our building have invited Mary to join their prayer group. They pray together for the kids, teachers, staff, parents, and anything else that comes to mind.
On Saturdays, Mary also joined a Zumba class and helps greet the women as they arrive. They all love to see her smiling face at 8am on a Saturday morning. They've started to call her the Zumba mascot.

When she first moved to Chicago, we were the only people she knew. Now she has a community of people and her need to feel like she belongs is met. Moreover, she helps meet other people's need to belong. She's embodying Overflow's practice of community building!

But wait, there's more...

Mary loves chocolate and tea. If she could, that's all she'd eat and drink. But, as we've shared with her about child labor in the chocolate industry (we dare you to Google "child labor and chocolate" and see what you discover), she's reduced how much chocolate she eats. She understands that children should be in school, not in the cocoa field working from sun-up to sundown. So she's more careful in her chocolate consumption. Plus, she's started to consume fair trade tea as a way to make sure tea growers receive a fair wage. We can't get her to drink coffee (yet) but she's definitely thinking more and more about the stories behind the things she buys. She's embodying Overflow's practice of ethical economics!

This is just one story of one person and the impact we have as a community. It just happens to be the one closest to us. We see what's happening with Mary and we think, "Yes! We really are changing the world one life at a time."

Support our mission to change the world one cup at a time through building community and ethical economics!

Visit our online store to shop or give a gift.

2015 Individual Overflow Membership - Join the Movement!

2014-11-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

Support local, independent business...

Make a positive difference with your purchasing power...

Be part of a growing community of world changers...

All without tracking points, punching cards, or earning stars (whatever that means).

Overflow Membership is a straight-forward 10% discount program for your favorite coffee, tea, pastry, sandwich, fair trade gift item, and more!

Minimal hassle for 10% off every purchase, all year long.

Click here to find out more and purchase your membership online!

Top 10 Things For Which Overflow is Thankful in 2014

2014-11-22T09:25:00.001-06:00

10. Our location. Many aren't aware but behind-the-scenes there's been a renewed sense of working together with a few of our neighbors at 1550 S. State. One example is that we're now providing lunches for some students at Daystar School. The kids get healthy lunches and we get some increased revenue.

9. Our neighborhood. The South Loop continues to grow and nurture more and more businesses, which means more residents stay in the area and others come to the neighborhood. We're excited to see where the future takes all of us.

8. Our roaster. Ipsento continues to do a great job and roast quality tasting and ethical coffee. We love to drink it and are proud to serve it to you!

7. Our baker. Delightful Pastries keeps delivering excellent and ethical pastries. We love to eat the non-GMO wheat, real butter, easy sugar, and locally-grown ingredients. We might love it too much.

6. Cash. We're thankful when people use it to pay instead of plastic.

5. Our neighbor local, small businesses. There are too many to name but they give us places to go and "Eat, Drink, Buy Local!"

4. Our partners. We love the Greater South Loop Association and the Daystar Center and the added value they bring to Overflow!

3.Our team of baristas. "Teamwork makes the dreamwork." We're thankful for Justin, Mark, Dan, Caleb, David, and Dustin.*

2. Our customers. YOU are the life breath of Overflow. We wouldn't exist without YOU!

1. The magic that happens when customers, baristas, and our partners all work together, embracing their diversity and their similarities, to change the world one cup at a time. Let's call that magic "True Community."

*If you know any females with barista experience, we love to have more ladies on the team. ;-)

This Month at Overflow! 5.2014

2014-05-01T14:10:00.001-05:00

Presented by Overflow

27 - Buyer Be Fair Documentary Film Screening & Discussion @ 7pm - More info here.

Presented by Daystar Center

10 - Chicago Solo Theatre @ 7:30pm - More info here.

13 - Chicago Film Club screens Hitchcock's Rebecca @ 6:30pm - More info here.

15 & 17 - Jazz Vocalist (& South Loop Resident) Sabina & Visual Artists Jeremy & Jordan @ 7pm - More info here.

Other Community Activities

12 - South Loop Toastmasters Meeting @ 6:15pm - More info here.

17 - Greater South Loop Association Community Meeting @ 9am - More info here.

See and Hear Barista Mark Perform

2014-04-07T11:38:00.000-05:00

We all know how baristas are often artists who count on their barista work for stable income while they pursue their art endeavors. It just so happens that one of your favorite Overflow baristas is a guitarist with exceptional skill and resume. Here's a run down:

Mark Anderson (Chicago native, Code name: "RogerTango")

Masters in Classical Guitar Performance at San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Adjunct Professor of Guitar at Illinois Wesleyan University
Guitar Instructor at The Academy of Movement and Music in Oak Park
Performed the U.S. premier of “Rising Spirals” by award winning composer Chinary Ung

In his cover letter to apply at Overflow, Mark wrote,

"As a musician, I have learned to appreciate the full aesthetic of everything I engage in. Coffee is not a drink, it is an experience that I can create and share with a customer."

You can see why we hired him. Now, as part of the Daystar Center concert series, come see and hear him perform along with Necati Emirzade. Together, they make Duo Tandem. In addition, Zach Lehner will be displaying art before/after and creating live art during the performance.

Here are the details:

Thursday, April 17 and Saturday, April 19 (same show both dates)
7:00pm - two 45 minute sets with an intermission
General Admission: $20, includes gourmet appetizers
Bring your own beer or wine or purchase a beverage from Overflow.
Advance tickets are encouraged. You can get them here.

Still not convinced to come??? Hear some samples of their work here.

Celebrate Earth Day at Overflow!

2014-04-03T10:48:00.000-05:00

April 22, 2014 (Earth Day!)
7:00 - 9:00pm
Film Screening and Discussion
RSVP here.

Film Description

A Fierce Green Fire: The Battle For a Living Planet is the first big-picture exploration of the environmental movement - grassroots and global activism spanning fifty years from conservation to climate change. From halting dams in the Grand Canyon to battling 20,000 tons of toxic waste at Love Canal; from Greenpeace saving the whales to Chico Mendes and the rubbertappers saving the Amazon; from climate change to the promise of transforming our civilization... the film tells vivid stories about people fighting - and succeeding - against enormous odds.

The film is divided into five "acts".

Act 1 focuses on the conservation movement of the `60s, David Brower and the Sierra Club's battle to halt dams in the Grand Canyon. Narrated by Robert Redford.

Act 2 looks at the new environmental movement of the `70s with its emphasis on pollution, focusing on the battle led by Lois Gibbs over Love Canal. Narrated by Ashley Judd.

Act 3 is about alternative ecology strands and the main story is Greenpeace's campaign to save the whales. Narrated by Van Jones.

Act 4 explores global resource issues and crises of the `80s, focusing on the struggle to save the Amazon led by Chico Mendes and the rubber tappers. Narrated by Isabel Allende.

Act 5 concerns climate change. Narrated by Meryl Streep.

Run Time: 101 minutes. Discussion will end around 9pm.

Watch the trailer at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc40_9tVUao.

"Rarely do environmental-themed films come with the ambitious scope of 'A Fierce Green Fire: The Battle for a Living Planet'which aims at nothing less than the history of environmentalism itself." -Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times

Raffle Prizes for this Saturday's 3 Year Anniversary Festivities

2014-03-24T11:43:00.001-05:00

In case you've been hiding under a rock and haven't heard, we're celebrating 3 years this Saturday, March 29. There's free cake from 8am to 6pm. Then, there's a big party at 7pm (ADVANCE TICKETS REQUIRED). Read more at this previous blog posting.

In the meantime, here are some teasers for the raffle prizes we're giving away. Stop on by and you could win big!

From Overflow Coffee Bar

$50 Overflow Coffee Bar gift card
2 tickets to A Fierce Green Fire Film Screening and Discussion
Overflow gift basket - coffee, mug, and more!

From Daystar Center

2 tickets to Chicago Solo Theatre Solo Saturdays (a $30 value)
2 tickets for Chicago Film Club screening of What's Up Doc? (a $10 value)
2 tickets for Duo Tandem Performance (a $40 value)
Yoga punch card (a $90 value)

From Local, Small Businesses

free 1 hour massage from Equilibrium Health and Wellness
2 - $25 gift cards from Tapas Valencia
1 Gift Basket and 1 Free Groom from Doggone Fun
Reggies bucks from Reggie's
Sonicare Toothbrush, Whitening pen, and whitening toothpaste (a $190 value) from Sloop Dental
Silver Clutch from Saca-tash
10 Class Pass from Fit4Mom Chicago
1 Session (12 classes) Tuiton from Lango Chicago

From Overflow's favorite customers (you're all our favorites)

Two 60 Minute Webinars + Three 30 Minute Individual Coaching Sessions ($175 Value) from Howard Fox with Fox Coaching, Inc
2 Women's History Month Prints from artist Sarah Viktora of Influx Designs
2 Financial Coaching Packs (includes 1 counseling session and a prepared comprehensive financial plan) from Mark Willis of Lake Growth Financial Services
SEO Overview, Design Analysis, Landing Page Design, and Email Setup ($350 Value) from Jeff Beckham with Black Box Creative

There are also some giveaways from BMO Harris Bank.

Remember this is just a teaser... there will be more than what's listed here!

It's been a rough winter for small businesses, get out there and support your neighborhood!

*** Special thanks to Weather Mark Tavern for donating local beer for the party at 7pm! ***

Announcing: CSA at Overflow!

2014-03-05T11:33:00.000-06:00

We're partnering with Nichols Farm & Orchard in Marengo, Illinois to bring you fresh, local fruits and vegetables this summer and fall.

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It's about relationship. You get local, fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables while building a relationship with a local farmer (in this case the Nichols family).

You can sign up online and then pick up your food here at Overflow. Easy, convenient, and affordable.

Full disclosure: Overflow is not getting paid to host this CSA. We might receive a box of fruits and veggies to split among the staff. People who come to pick up their food might make a purchase from Overflow. We're not sure what might happen. Primarily, we're doing this because it's the right thing to do.

Celebrating 3 Years!

2014-02-28T12:18:00.001-06:00

March 29, 2013

8am to 6pm - Free Cake*! Raffle Prizes!

*while supplies last

7pm to 9pm - Coffee Tasting! Speed Networking! Impact Sharing!

Advance tickets required. Purchase at http://overflow3years.bpt.me.

Special Guests Include:

Marc J. Lane - Mr. Lane is seen as one of the chief authorities on L3C. Overflow is an L3C. He is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Northwestern University School of Law, where he has taught courses in entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial finance and where he currently teaches the Social Enterprise course. He is Chairman of the State of Illinois’ Task Force on Social Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Enterprise.

Tim Taylor - Mr. Taylor owns Ipsento, an award-winning, direct-trade roaster and coffee shop in Bucktown. He is Overflow’s roaster. He has worked in virtually every role imaginable in specialty coffee - including green coffee buyer and Cup of Excellence judge.

#Overflow3Years

It's also Daystar Center's 3 Year Anniversary so they'll be involved in these festivities as well! As they say, "Gather. Connect. Grow."

This Month at Overflow (February 2014)

2014-02-05T16:33:00.005-06:00

Some great events going on this month! Hope to see you at one of them.

February 8: Chicago Solo Theatre "Solo Saturdays"@ 7:30pm (for adults, sponsored by Daystar Center)

February 11: Bringing Up Baby Film Club Screening and Discussion @ 6:30pm (for adults, sponsored by Daystar Center)

February 14: V-Day Fit4Mom Stroller Strides Workout @ 11am (for moms and kids, sponsored by Fit4Mom Chicago)

February 20 and 22: ActYourAge! with Beth Urech @ 7pm (for everyone, sponsored by Daystar Center)

February 25: Rising From Ashes Documentary Screening and Discussion

with @ 7:00pm (for everyone, sponsored by Overflow Coffee Bar)

This Month at Overflow 1.2014

2014-01-02T17:47:00.000-06:00

Craft Kickoff with Traffick Free - Jan 11 @ 2:00pm - kickoff National Human Trafficking Awareness Month with a craft and hot cocoa!

Chicago Solo Theatre "Solo Saturdays" - Jan 11 @ 7:30pm - laugh till you cry with this part stand-up, part storytelling, part monologue, all truth!

The Awful Truth Classic Film Club Screening and Discussion - Jan 14 @ 6:30pm - an absolute gem

Greater South Loop Association Community Updates - Jan25 @ 9:00am - find out what's up in the neighborhood

Camp Kupugani Fest - Jan 25 @ 4:00pm - learn about a cool place for your kid to visit this summer

The Wisdom to Survive Documentary Screening and Discussion - Jan 28 @ 7:00pm - learn about and discuss climate change, capitalism, and community

Did you know?

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

Our friends at Traffick Free are hosting a month long series of events.

Labor trafficking is one of the forms of human trafficking and something we're pretty passionate about. Direct and fair trade are two of the efforts to end labor trafficking and the exploitation of workers, adult and child around the world. That's why we use direct trade and fair trade products as much as possible.

How can you celebrate this month?

Consider going to Traffick Free's Craft Kickoff here at Overflow to learn more about trafficking in Chicagoland.

Consider learning more about where the stuff you buy comes from. You can read more about that topic here.

Continue to change the world one cup at a time here at Overflow. Every purchase matters!

How to get FREE Coffee

2013-12-11T08:05:00.002-06:00

In addition to general Overflow Membership (see the last post), we also have extra special memberships that make you coffee FREE!

Coffee-lover Membership

Cost: $1,000
Benefits:

Free Large Coffee Every Day for 1 Year
All benefits of general Overflow Membership until 12/31/2016

Overflow Patron

Cost: $10,000
Benefits:

Free Brewed Coffee for Life!
All benefits of general Overflow Membership until 12/31/2018

You can become a Coffee-lover or an Overflow Patron the next time you stop by or by using the buttons to the right on your screen.

Don't like these options… we're open to suggestions. Just let us know what you'd like to do to help us "take it to the next level" and continue to brew coffee that not only tastes good but feels good too.

Want to know how we'd use your money? Check out the last post.

2014 Overflow Memberships Now Available! (and more)

2013-11-30T13:05:00.001-06:00

Get 10% off everything you purchase from Overflow Coffee Bar with a 2014 Membership for only $50.00.

The discount includes: food, drink, t-shirts, tumblers, fair trade gift items and more! The discount does not apply to catering orders since those are already discounted. If you spend $10 a week or more on average at Overflow, a membership will pay for itself and then some over the course of the year. $10 is the equivalent of a small coffee each day Monday through Friday or a sandwich and latte on the weekend. It's also great for those who purchase coffee for brewing at home!
Members also get extra perks that no one else receives. This includes:

VIP seating at documentary film screenings!
VIP access and discounts at our 3 Year Anniversary celebrations.

The card is valid from the time of purchase through December 31, 2014.
Only a limited number of cards are available.
A single membership is only valid for 1 person. No sharing.
To get your card,

Purchase it when you come into Overflow next. Be ready to pay $50 via cash or credit.
Purchase it online right now and we'll mail it to you. Click here or use the button to the right.

Overflow Membership makes a great gift. If you’re interested in giving a membership as a gift, please note that when you're purchasing it.
If you have any questions, contact Amanda at amanda@overflowcoffeebar.org or (312) 772-2356.

But wait there's more!

If you purchase a membership, you might be curious to know what we're going to do with your $50.00. We're doing some other fundraising too because here's what we'd love to do:

If we reach 80 memberships (or raise $4,000 total), we'll be able to get outdoor patio seating for the Spring and Summer (pending a city permit).
If we raise another $30,000, we'll be able to add a full-time "developer" position to take what we've created in starting up Overflow and keep it going and growing over time. The "developer" will be charged with maintaining and expanding the awesomeness of Overflow.
If we raise another $63,000, we'd be a lot more stable as a business. Right now, if some unforeseen circumstance (like equipment failure) happened, it could cause us to go out of business. With increased stability, we'll be able to look more toward increasing our impact locally and globally instead of worrying so much about making payroll.

Yes, we're shooting for the moon and hoping for the impossible. We figure we'd rather put our hopes and dreams out there and see what happens. Thanks to all of you who believe in us and want to see us not just stay in business but improve, grow and increase how much we change the world.

Click here to see our progress toward these dreams!

Save your sanity! Shop small this holiday season.

2013-11-22T15:25:00.001-06:00

Written by Billy and Daria, students at Roosevelt University

The frenzied shopping season is almost upon us. We're sure you’ve seen commercials for can’t-miss sales and the news stories about big department stores that will open their doors on Thanksgiving Day for the first time. Overflow's next movie screening, the documentary What Would Jesus Buy?, takes on this subject with full vigor.

Released in 2007, the movie showcases “Reverend Billy” as he follows holiday shoppers from New York City to Disney World. One of the main messages of the movie is the irony of how we celebrate Thanksgiving, which is supposed to be a time to give thanks for our blessings, followed by Black Friday, a day when people nearly trample each other trying to get the best deals at big department stores.

We encourage you to ponder some questions surrounding this American shopping phenomenon…

Are the few dollars saved worth the insane crowds and your shattered nerves?

Where do the dollars that you spend actually go?

Are your dollars working to make the world a better place?

Do you value humanitarianism over materialism?

Large corporations exert great buying power over suppliers, forcing them to sell wholesale goods at extremely low prices so the corporations can achieve greater profits. Suppliers across the globe must sell their goods at prices that keep their workforce at living standards below the poverty level, offering no chance for improvement. The profits realized by large corporations are then put into the pockets of stockholders and company executives. This vicious cycle only benefits corporations while the rest of us are left with empty wallets.

In an effort to begin a discussion on the value of spending your hard earned dollars at places that will benefit you, benefit your community, and benefit the world at large, we'd encourage you to attend the screening of What Would Jesus Buy? After the movie, we’ll have a discussion in which we address the questions above and more!

Get your tickets here!

Film Screening: What Would Jesus Buy?

2013-11-07T16:39:00.004-06:00

Reserve your seat now!

One Small Business' Take on a Big Business Moving In

2013-10-04T12:41:00.000-05:00

A big topic of conversation lately has been the opening of a big grocery store on 16th and Clark, just a block away from us. This grocery store contains a coffee bar complete with a wide variety of lunch items. Lots are speculating about whether this new addition will increase business for Overflow due to increased foot and vehicle traffic in the area. Alternatively, they could been seen as a competitor who could take away from our business. I thought I'd share what we know for sure.

Overflow is local. We made it our mission from before we opened to be embedded deeply in this neighborhood. I think we've done a good job of that. Ask yourself, "Would my South Loop neighbors and I miss Overflow if it was gone?" If you answered "yes" then we've succeeded already!

Overflow is locked into changing the world. When we make decisions like choosing where we source our products, we choose what's best for the planet and those who live here, not always the cheapest option. We're committed to making wise choices. Plus, we're getting close to making a profit. Once we make that profit, we are required to invest it in nonprofit work. We've already done some of that since it's the right thing to do but there's much, much more to come!

We hope these two facts along with having a space you can work, study, or play from for hours on end and our commitment to great customer service will mean our business succeeds no matter who moves in around us. In fact, we hope the South Loop continues to attract new businesses. As a good friend likes to say, in the South Loop "may all boats rise."

Consider Faith - Purposeful Living Idea 13 of 52

2013-09-05T17:56:00.000-05:00

I have a couple assumptions in writing this post: (1) we are whole persons not divided into parts and (2) in addition to our body, minds, emotions, and relationships, we are defined by our souls or spirits.

If these 2 assumptions are true, then I would venture to guess that when we think about living purposeful lives, we need to think about our spiritual side as part of our whole being. Thus “Purposeful Living Idea 13” is “Consider faith.”

Personally, I have found great strength from my faith to keep me going in helping others. It’s like I get filled up through faith experiences so that I either am more content with what I have or I have more to then share more with others. I can authentically say my faith has saved me from compassion fatigue (pun intended).

Perhaps not everyone experiences faith this way or wouldn’t know where to begin to find a place to experience faith in this way. Thus, I’m leading a group (along with my husband Brandon) to help people experience faith and its benefits. You can read more about what this looks like here:

www.overflowfaithcommunity.org. If this seems like something that would interest you, please feel free to pop in one Sunday at 11am down the hall from Overflow Coffee Bar (1550 S. State Street).

In the meantime or if you’re reading this from far away from Chicago, I’d invite you to consider faith. If you are considering faith for the first time, ask yourself, “How could faith help me live life more purposefully?” If you’re considering faith in a new way, ask yourself, “How is my faith helping me live life more purposefully?” I’d invite you to share your answers by commenting on this post. I’d love to hear your stories.

Consider faith. Improve your life. Change the world.

Bash on Wabash 10th Anniversary!

2013-08-15T07:58:00.004-05:00