I’ve been meaning to go to the Coffee Hub since it opened in the wonderful neighboring town of Lacon in May and now since it’s the middle of August, I think I better get over there! The Coffee Hub is the latest enterprise from the husband and wife team, Julie and Mike who created one of my favorite stores in the world, Julie’s Corner Store. Speaking of Julie’s Corner Store, the last time I visited that store I spit wine into a bucket there. I need to do that again. Let’s go make all of this magic happen, shall we?
Julie and Mike have a real knack for taking an empty space in a building and giving it an iconic look and The Coffee Hub certainly reflects that talent that they have. I love the signage and flags celebrating this caffeinated corner of 318 5th Street in Lacon, Illinois.
It's a very inviting storefront, let's go in and see what's shaking in here today.
Wow, it's really cool looking in here. I love all the wood and it's got a combination of equal parts urban and home town deja vu feeling in here. I might just move in.
Sturdy wooden tables line the walls over here.
Lights swathed in burlap dangle over the tables.
The wooden front counter seems to go on forever and it's an impressive sight to behold.
The name of this place is, The Coffee Hub, so of course there's a nice selection of coffee to choose from, but there's also plenty of drinks and food for non-coffee drinkers like myself. Just check out all the selections on these half dozen menus hanging behind the front counter.
Just beyond the front counter is this comfortable lounge area where you can relax with your coffee and treats and read a magazine and enjoy the fireplace that's built into the wall back here.
Opposite the lounge area is a space with communal tables for kids to hang out complete with these shelves that house fun board games.
There's always a continuous community jigsaw puzzle going on back here that everyone is invited to stop by and fit a few pieces into the puzzle. I'm going to pass on this, as jigsaw puzzles are just one of the many things that make me nervous. All of those pieces and so little time...aaahhhh!
Here's a shot from the back of the Coffee Hub.
Meet The Staff! Patrick Blake Russell is featured this month and in addition to being a time traveler, he's also a musician and he'll be performing right here at The Coffee Hub on Friday, July 29th at 7PM. Mark your calendars and if you miss it, stop in and see if he'll take you back in time to see the show. he is a time traveler after all!
Speaking of meeting the staff, here's three of the pretty Coffee Hub staffers behind the counter, from left: Katharine, Hannah and Joanna. Joanna is a fellow blogger and you can check out her blog here: Wrapped In Engaged Bliss.
And here's the guy who leads Team Hub, Mike! Remember the impressive wooden tables and front counter we saw a while back? Mike built all of those! Very impressive!
Up in the front of the store there's lots of unique food and gift items for sale and Mike pointed out that they're all made in Illinois, which insures that all of the money spent in here stays local.
The Ice Cream in here is no exception, Uncle Bob's ice Cream is made in Eureka, Illinois.
Check out the wall of vintage soda bottles in here! All of the flavors come from Homer Soda.
Mike took me outside to point out this date on this cornerstone on the front wall...
This building was finished on May 21st, 1914 and...
Exactly 100 years later, The Coffee Hub opened up in this building! Very cool!
Every month, The Coffee Hub has a featured artist who's work is featured on the wall for display and sale. Here's this month's featured artist, photographer Jen Qualls.
Her photos run a wide range from unique shots of pets to...
Babies rolled up like a green cigar. Check out Jen's work here: Jen's Special Touch Photography.
Mike pointed out this giant cup of coffee that's going to be part of a float for Old Settlers Days, which kicks off tomorrow. You can read more about this festival below this post, both The Coffee Hub and Julie's Corner Store are taking part of this time-honored festival.
Kevin's a regular here at the Hub and he's also a fine art photographer who was last month's featured artist. You can check out his work right here: Creations By Kevin.
Okay, time to sample dome of the goodies in here, they have everything from fresh bagels to homemade muffins to brownies to...
Freshly baked cinnamon rolls! I have to try one of these and since I don't drink coffee...
I thought I'd get some tea. They have a nice selection in here and Joanna showed me this humidor where you can look and smell the various tea selections. I chose Earl Grey.
All the tips that are left get donated to a special cause of the month. Nice!
In addition to the tea and cinnamon roll, I also got a scoop of Uncle Bob's praline ice cream and here it is served up by the rhyming duo of Joanna and Hanna.
How fabulous does this look?
The warm cinnamon roll partially melted the praline ice cream and turned it into a plate of melted magical goodness!
That was so good! Thanks to Mike and the whole Team Hub for a wonderful visit!
Of course no trip to Lacon is complete without stopping into Jule's Corner Store, and check out the Welcome MBIP on the sign! Love that!
As I stepped into the store I ran smack-dab into Julie and Patty clutching a bottle of Halloween wine in front of...
The legendary, award-winning, homemade Julie's Corner Store Fudge.
The fudge looks great, but I came here with one singular purpose and it all happens back here at the wine bar.
Cheers!
He drinks...
And he spits into a bucket. Okay, my work here is done, we'll see you all tomorrow!
The Coffee Hub
318 5th Street
Lacon, Illinois
309-554-9057
Julie’s Corner Store
233 5th Street
Lacon, Illinois
309-246-2262
Related Posts: Shop Hop—Julie’s Corner Store in Lacon, Illinois, The Twelve Shops Of Christmas (Part One) and Drinking Wine At Julie’s Corner Store (Spo-Dee-O-Dee).
Surprise link, click on it...I dare you!
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Marshall County Old Settlers Celebration in Lacon - August 21 - 24
The Old Settlers Celebration is celebrating it’s 144th year, making it one of the oldest and time-worthy celebrations in the Midwest. The theme for this year is, “Once Upon A Time.”
It all starts off on this Friday, August 22nd, with the opening ceremony at the Courthouse Stage at 6PM. Comedian Jeremy Nunes performs at 6:45 and Lacon Idol takes place at 7:30PM. Think: American Idol, but in Lacon. The Grand Parade is the main event and that starts at 2PM on Saturday afternoon on 5th Street. There’s events, tractor pulls, car shows, beer, magic and fun all weekend long and you can follow the updates via their facecrack page right here: Old Settlers Facecrack Page. And if you’re jonesing for coffee or treats, The Coffee Hub will be open for extended hours during the Old Settlers Weekend. Enjoy!
And don’t forget to mark your calendars for Julie’s Corner Store 8th anniversary celebration on September 6th! I’ll be reminding you about that right here, so stay tuned!
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Today’s post was brought to you by Julie's Corner Store. Check them and all the other fine businesses helping to support this blog over at the MBIP Bucket List Page. Your Daily Random Linkage awaits you at the bottom of the that page as well!
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