The Spice Girls: ChiTown Café & The PSL Craze

[01:00:00:00 - 01:00:04:10]
 (Upbeat Music)

[01:00:08:02 - 01:00:52:07]
Sylvia
 There's a special spot in Chicago where you don't need to wait till fall for a pumpkin spice season. Yes, PSL at October Cafe. It's autumn always. Owners Audrey Borden and Michelle Gonzalez founded the Norwood Park Cafe with the vision of bringing patrons the flavor of the season all year long. The cafe is a favorite for commuters, families, and students, even offering a value meal for local children and teenagers who take comfort in the cozy vibe after a long day at school. And today's Supper with Sylvia October Special. I speak to the couple about their always fall approach, what makes their pumpkin spice lattes so special, and why every time you walk in the door to October Cafe, you'll be greeted with your very own. Nice to meet you pumpkins.

[01:00:52:07 - 01:00:54:21]
 (Upbeat Music)

[01:00:59:09 - 01:01:05:14]
Advertisement
 At Mariano's, we love how every product has a story, and some of the best stories come from right here in Chicago.

[01:01:05:14 - 01:01:13:06]
Advertisement
 That's why we started We Love Local. It's our way of shining a light on small businesses and farmers and food makers who pour their hearts into what they do.

[01:01:13:06 - 01:01:19:10]
Advertisement
 When you see a local item on our shelves, you know you're supporting someone's dream and keeping our community strong.

[01:01:19:10 - 01:01:29:09]
Advertisement
 From family recipes passed down for generations to brand new ideas born in neighborhood kitchens, We Love Local brings those stories to your table because when local thrives, we all do.

[01:01:29:09 - 01:01:32:23]
Advertisement
 Mariano's is a proud sponsor of the Supper with Sylvia podcast.

[01:01:34:15 - 01:01:38:15]
Sylvia
 Okay, Michelle and Audrey, thank you for joining us on the podcast. Great to meet you guys.

[01:01:39:16 - 01:01:52:21]
Sylvia
 Nice to meet you pumpkins. It's great to meet you pumpkin. I love that. Let's explain to everybody, this is your greeting at the October Cafe. So let's just give us a little history here. How did October Cafe come about?

[01:01:52:21 - 01:02:17:02]
Michelle
 So we basically were driving around and Audrey had like a passion to do a coffee shop one day. So we happened to find a spot and then we're like, oh my gosh, it's time to follow our dreams. And we got it going and based off of our love story and opened up in 2023 and we're still chugging on.

[01:02:17:02 - 01:02:29:16]
Sylvia
 Why October though? Because it's an October cafe with the pumpkin theme. And tell me about how you greet everybody, why you greet everybody the way you do and why October?

[01:02:31:10 - 01:02:36:15]
Audrey
 So me and Michelle, we met back in 2019 in October and we've always been fall lovers.

[01:02:37:20 - 01:03:06:10]
Audrey
 So when we were gonna open up the cafe, the only thing we could think of was to have a fall themed cafe. So every time when you come in, you're greeted with hello pumpkin, everyone's treated so nicely with respect and great customer service. Everyone's our pumpkin at the cafe. And we also every day, all throughout the year, you can get fall themed beverages, fall themed food items. And it's just all year round fall cozy vibes at the cafe as well.

[01:03:06:10 - 01:03:20:05]
Sylvia
 And let's talk about that. What is it about fall? Do you think that people just embrace and there is a warmth that comes with that, which is obviously why you're doing what you're doing and why it's the theme that you have?

[01:03:21:23 - 01:03:38:08]
Michelle
 So we found doing it as October cafe, as she said, because of our love story, but also fall is our favorite season. Like the crisp red colors, orange colors, yellow. A lot of people think like cozy sweaters, feeling cozy.

[01:03:39:11 - 01:03:48:02]
Michelle
 I feel like it's a romanticized season as well. So fun couples come to the cafe for like dates or events like that.

[01:03:49:05 - 01:04:09:17]
Michelle
 And people just come in and they want a good cup of pumpkin spice that you cannot get any other place throughout the year and it's house made. So they're like, this is some good stuff. And they want to come in and enjoy a pumpkin spice latte and kind of be like, I could do this in summer or in winter and just come on into this cafe and feel like I'm in the fall season.

[01:04:09:17 - 01:04:20:01]
Sylvia
 Yeah, cause a lot of the big market coffee places, you can't get the pumpkin spice until the fall season. You guys are doing it year round. Tell me what's so special about your coffee.

[01:04:21:23 - 01:04:38:01]
Audrey
 So our coffee, first of all, it's delicious. Everyone always loves it. They come back for that good quality. We use dark matter coffee. So it's locally roasted. One we order our coffee, that's when they roast it for us. So it's fresh coffee beans. It's high in caffeine.

[01:04:39:13 - 01:04:45:20]
Audrey
 And we also offer a lot of different options for people with different preferences. All of our drinks can be made non-dairy.

[01:04:47:05 - 01:05:03:23]
Audrey
 Decaf, we've got a lot of sugar-free options. So it's just a place too where everyone can come in and find something that's for their palate and for their preference too. Like we offer lots of teas. We offer smoothies and our drink flights. So there's something for everyone at the cafe.

[01:05:03:23 - 01:05:07:06]
Sylvia
 What's the obsession with pumpkin spice? What the heck?

[01:05:08:20 - 01:05:08:21]
 (Laughing)

[01:05:09:21 - 01:05:24:11]
Michelle
 Honestly, why not be obsessed? Because it's so good. I think also people are like, oh, like the symbol of fall is a pumpkin. And now you can drink it, you can eat it, you could do everything with it. It just tastes so good.

[01:05:25:16 - 01:05:31:08]
Michelle
 And our pumpkin is like a harvest garden pumpkin. It's not like a sweet, candle-y pumpkin spice.

[01:05:32:12 - 01:05:43:00]
Michelle
 And it's really delicious. It's cinnamony. It's just a staple. Like if you, did you really celebrate fall if you didn't have a cup of pumpkin spice latte? You know what I mean?

[01:05:44:02 - 01:05:45:16]
Michelle
 So I think it's like a must have.

[01:05:46:21 - 01:06:04:12]
Michelle
 And if people don't like the pumpkin spice lattes, we also have, we can do like a pumpkin spice hot chocolate or like a pumpkin spice tea that steep for people. So you can still enjoy the fab, the, you know, the whole thing, the craze, but in your own way.

[01:06:04:12 - 01:06:10:22]
Sylvia
 So you guys are located in Norwood Park, I understand. Describe for people who have not been,

[01:06:11:22 - 01:06:16:08]
Sylvia
 what it's like when they open your door and walk inside. And what is your goal?

[01:06:18:10 - 01:06:21:05]
Michelle
 When you walk inside, you're greeted with a, hello pumpkin.

[01:06:22:10 - 01:06:45:12]
Michelle
 We show you the menu. You get to meet our whole family. When we say small business, we mean small business. You will see my cousin, you will see my brother, you'll see my mom and my dad. It's family. You feel like you're part of the family. We respect you no matter where you come from, who you are, you feel welcomed, you feel comfortable. We have free wifi. You can sit wherever you want.

[01:06:47:05 - 01:07:08:04]
Michelle
 We care for you even if you have gluten free options, we have vegan options, we have everything pretty much. And it's a place where like, we'll remember you when you come back again. It's not like, okay, grab me a cup of coffee, being ignored, I'm going to go sit down and like do my stuff. It's for everybody. You're going to feel like you're part of the family.

[01:07:09:14 - 01:07:17:12]
Sylvia
 Since you opened this, has it kind of surpassed your dreams and expectations because being a small business owner is very difficult.

[01:07:17:12 - 01:07:21:12]
Audrey
 Yeah, so when we first opened, we really didn't know what to expect.

[01:07:22:15 - 01:07:55:01]
Audrey
 We're a queer couple, even that was a conversation of are we going to be open about who we are, Michelle's Latina as well. So we were just a little bit nervous. Are we going to be welcomed into this community? Are we going to have our business be supported? But at the same time, we can't hide who we are. We have to just embrace who we are. At the end of the day, the business is for us and for the family and we have to have pride in that. And since we've opened, there's been a little bit of backlash, but also we've had so much support. And since we've opened, we've had lines out the door.

[01:07:56:05 - 01:08:12:11]
Audrey
 Everyone's been so involved with the business too. We have lots of events for free for the community. And I feel like overall, we've had such a great experience and we're so blessed. Every day we say we're so blessed. Two years then, we've had an amazing experience.

[01:08:12:11 - 01:08:23:03]
Sylvia
 That's great because like I said, being a small business owner is tough. I'm sure you had never done anything like this before. So this was an experiment and in the making, wasn't it?

[01:08:23:03 - 01:08:43:05]
Audrey
 No business background, but we always kind of had in the back of our minds, we'd love a coffee house. We love drinking coffee. So at the end of the day, I feel like we did our own research outside of school. We'd go to different shops, try them out. Supporting small businesses, always going to like farmers markets and getting to know people even before the business started.

[01:08:44:12 - 01:08:57:11]
Audrey
 And also I worked in a coffee house just to kind of understand different types of coffee and what it's like to manage a team. And I feel like that helps a lot, maybe even more than a college experience could have. Sure.

[01:08:57:11 - 01:09:13:00]
Sylvia
 So tell everybody, what can they expect that's different when they taste your coffee versus going to the big retailers like Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts who tout their pumpkin spice lattes in the fall. What's different about yours?

[01:09:14:12 - 01:09:31:19]
Michelle
 What's different about October Cafe is that we put our love and care and there's a lot of background movement that happens into the cup of coffee that you're drinking. And it's precisely made decisions on what we're gonna use and what we're not gonna use.

[01:09:33:06 - 01:09:43:22]
Michelle
 So when you drink a couple of coffee at October Cafe, it's made with love. And we support small business like Audrey said, with the dark matter beans that we decided. So all of our beans are beautiful.

[01:09:44:23 - 01:10:14:21]
Michelle
 And the type of flavor palates that we pick are intentional. And it's made to order. It's not just from a jug and then we poured it and here you go. That's why sometimes customers have to wait a couple minutes because we actually steep our teas for the five to four minutes. We actually like brew our stuff and like we make it to order and if you don't like it, we'll make another cup free of charge even though it costs us money. But we wanna make sure that you're happy when you're coming into October Cafe and drinking that high quality beverage.

[01:10:14:21 - 01:10:30:21]
Sylvia
 I love how you described that. I'm ready. I'm on my way. It sounds amazing. One of the things I love too, I understand you're by a train station but you also run a value meal for students. Are you nearby a university as well?

[01:10:32:10 - 01:10:45:13]
Audrey
 So currently we're nearby Taft High School, Newark Elementary School, Onahan Elementary and also like Immaculate Conception and Resurrection School. So a lot of differing grade levels.

[01:10:46:17 - 01:11:28:21]
Audrey
 So when we first opened, we noticed that some of our best supporters of our small business were kids at teen interviews. So shout out to you all. Really? Yeah. They would come in, they would get lemonade, they would get our tater tots, they would get their chips and then their parents would pick them up from the cafe because they knew it was a safe spot. So once we saw that, that's when we were inspired, hey, let's give back to our community. Let's make a value meal. Yes, it's costing us money but at the end of the day, we're giving students a place that they can come after school, feel comfortable and know that if they don't have all the money in the world or they have like a little allowance that they can still come and feel comfortable with their friends.

[01:11:28:21 - 01:11:32:00]
Sylvia
 Yeah, so how do you keep your prices affordable?

[01:11:33:17 - 01:12:21:17]
Michelle
 I'm gonna be honest with you. Since the beginning, we have not shifted our prices. We've kept them the same because we understand that it's rough and it's a load that we're willing to take on our shoulders to still provide those prices that are feasible for customers who are coming in. We honestly compared our prices to other coffee shops and the big coffee shops and we charge pretty low. Even though some people are still like, oh my gosh, this is the, it's like, I wish you would look at the other venues and notice we're pretty low but we're not gonna say it through your face. It is what it is, but we haven't changed our prices up and it's just because we know the struggle. Not everybody has the means to buy coffee or buy all these things and you just gotta be hospitable and empathetic to people in the community.

[01:12:22:23 - 01:12:41:20]
Sylvia
 Okay, so let's talk about your social media because it's super fun. That's gotta be a full-time job. I've been following you on Instagram and you guys are working it hard. Who's responsible for that and how much of a role does that play in how people not only learn about you but actually come into the store?

[01:12:43:18 - 01:13:19:08]
Michelle
 So we actually manage our social media and that's why I said in the beginning, when we say small business, we mean it. Audrey and I put our hands on every aspect of the business. We're the two pumpkins who do all the social media stuff and we do it the best that we can. We have a lot of people always messaging us, can we talk to your influencer team? And it's like, it's us. We are the influencers. Yes, we are the influencers, the social media hub of the cafe but it's a really fun experience. We get to do fun videos.

[01:13:20:10 - 01:13:36:16]
Michelle
 It's pretty cute. My mom likes to be in some of them. We like to do them together. And honestly, it's a learning progress. We'll get better as we keep on practicing but the feedback that we've been getting has been really good and it helps me wake up in the AM and start the videos.

[01:13:38:05 - 01:13:49:02]
Sylvia
 So you guys met in college, as we said, you got married and I understand two congratulations are in order today. There's a birthday, right?

[01:13:50:19 - 01:13:53:04]
Sylvia
 Audrey, happy birthday.

[01:13:54:11 - 01:14:01:19]
Sylvia
 And that I heard there might be a special bonus coming along soon. Tell me about that. We're pregnant.

[01:14:03:12 - 01:14:03:16]
Michelle
 Congratulations.

[01:14:05:00 - 01:14:08:23]
Michelle
 Thank you, yeah. My wife is pregnant with our first little pumpkin.

[01:14:10:02 - 01:14:23:20]
Sylvia
 That's fantastic. Wow, so you're just adding on. And that brings me to this because I understand that this is a great place for people to come with their children and their families. You guys talked about how your families are very involved.

[01:14:25:04 - 01:14:40:14]
Sylvia
 And when you want to tell people about your store, if you were to summarize it kind of in your elevator pitch, how do you tell people what is October Cafe like and what do you want them to get out of it?

[01:14:42:09 - 01:15:00:17]
Audrey
 Every time I welcome people into the cafe, just say it's a year round fall themed cafe. With that, it comes so many beautiful things. And every time you walk through the door, you're gonna feel comfortable, you're gonna enjoy it. The coffee's delicious, you have great food. We have free events, so follow our Instagram and Facebook.

[01:15:01:21 - 01:15:11:07]
Audrey
 October Cafe, it's a place, it's not just a cafe, but we have so many different things going on. So I really encourage people just follow along and see everything that we have to offer.

[01:15:12:10 - 01:15:18:13]
Sylvia
 So what's the plan for the future when it comes to your cafe or it may be expanding? Have you guys even thought about that?

[01:15:19:16 - 01:15:35:12]
Michelle
 So we need to expand. On the weekends, we are packed to the brim, although the album, it's very packed. And then we want to do more expansion so that we can host most of those events that we do. People want to come in and host parties.

[01:15:36:12 - 01:15:47:07]
Michelle
 So we want to expand more. And who knows what happens in the future, what kind of expansions we want, but we also have to keep in mind quality instead of quantity.

[01:15:48:10 - 01:15:56:03]
Michelle
 So if we have something good right now, we want to make sure that all the T's are crossed and the I's are dotted until we move on to that next step.

[01:15:56:03 - 01:16:06:17]
Sylvia
 Well, it sounds very exciting. So let's talk pumpkin spice lattes because it is fall. And I want you guys to notice, I wore a pumpkin dress just for you today, pumpkin colored.

[01:16:09:08 - 01:16:21:13]
Sylvia
 So if people can't make it out to Norwood, but after this, hopefully more will try because we have listeners from all over the place, not just Chicago, you know, we also have them across the United States, even some outside.

[01:16:23:00 - 01:16:46:10]
Sylvia
 When they order a pumpkin spice latte, what is the creme de la creme of this latte? Not just with yours, but what do you want them to know? And what should they look for when they decide that they're going to order the best possible pumpkin spice latte or coffee that they can possibly get? What's the secret? How can we tell we're getting the best?

[01:16:47:18 - 01:17:07:04]
Michelle
 When you drink the pumpkin spice latte, you're going to taste something that you can actually taste and smell the real pumpkin. We make it every morning. It's not a syrup that's been sitting on the rack for months until it comes to you. We make it with actual pumpkin, cinnamon, other mixtures.

[01:17:08:05 - 01:17:13:14]
Michelle
 We got to keep it on the down roll because it's our concoction that actually you can purchase if you want. Okay.

[01:17:15:00 - 01:17:26:22]
Michelle
 But it's just so, and it's a little bit thick too because of that pumpkin. So it's not going to be like a thinned out latte. It's creamy. It's like just very well smelling too because of that cinnamon that's in there.

[01:17:27:23 - 01:17:38:08]
Michelle
 We do sometimes make a sugar free option. So if you're looking for that, we offer it as well. But you can taste the quality compared to the other person.

[01:17:38:08 - 01:17:46:02]
Sylvia
 Yeah, it's all in the taste, right? The taste is the dead giveaway. You guys do some fun coffee flights too. Tell me about that.

[01:17:46:02 - 01:17:46:15]
Michelle
 Oh yeah.

[01:17:46:15 - 01:18:20:18]
Audrey
 So we have our year round fall things coffee flight. That's called We Fell In Love In October. And for that one, it comes with our four specialty drinks and you could get those in full size too. And that's like the pumpkin spice latte, our maple forest latte, our vanilla pumpkin chai and then our cuddle weather. It's like a chocolate caramel hazelnut hot chocolate. So we have that flight available all year long. And then each month, we also have a seasonal flight available too. So we've got eight different drinks that are specialty drinks at a time that you could choose from.

[01:18:20:18 - 01:18:33:16]
Sylvia
 That sounds delicious. It seems like coffee flights have become a thing recently. I've noticed now. People love to try the different flavors. It's almost like having a wine tasting, but you're getting that coffee tasting, right?

[01:18:35:01 - 01:19:23:02]
Michelle
 Yeah, so when we first decided to push out the flight, we were thinking about what is an experience that doesn't have to be alcohol that you can try different flavors. I mean, we're like coffee flights. You don't have to RSVP for it. You don't have to call in ahead. You order and we make it to order. That's the fun part. And you can order it at 6 a.m. or 5.30 p.m. Anytime you want, you can get a flight, any type of our flights, we have it on the menu. And I think that's just a fun thing. I feel like we were kind of trailblazers though, because like once we popped out with those flights and they were busted and everybody was getting them, I saw everyone popping out with the flights. And we're like, you go boo, because it helped your business when you show up those flights in your way, in your style.

[01:19:23:02 - 01:19:28:04]
Sylvia
 Yeah, you guys sound like you're really having fun with this and things are going so well.

[01:19:29:17 - 01:19:38:17]
Sylvia
 Absolutely. Well, I have to say, I love your positivity, both of you. I can't wait to come out to the cafe. When's the baby coming? What month?

[01:19:39:19 - 01:19:53:11]
Sylvia
 January. January. Oh, a good cozy coffee snuggly month. And I'm sure there'll be plenty of pumpkin spice lattes to be had. Thank you so much, ladies. It was such a pleasure to meet you. Best of luck with your business. It sounds amazing.

[01:19:53:11 - 01:19:55:11]
Michelle
 Thank you. Thank you so much. Bye pumpkin.

[01:19:57:10 - 01:20:09:15]
Sylvia
 This podcast is produced by Jennifer Waters, original music and audio editing, Donnie Cutting, promotions and marketing, Julie Lokun and The Mediacasters. Social media, Magali Blasdell.

[01:20:09:15 - 01:20:12:19]
 (Upbeat Music)

[01:20:12:19 - 01:20:25:02]
Sylvia
 Thanks for listening to the Supper with Sylvia podcast. If you'd like and would be so kind, please like, share and tell a friend because we can't do this without your love and support. Thanks for listening.