Grounded Coffee Bar Opens In Frankfort

FRANKFORT, IL — Coffee lovers, rejoice! Frankfort's newest business, Grounded Coffee Bar, is now open. The coffee shop is located at 19 S. Ash St., and is owned by Mokena resident Sheila Raines.

The coffee shop offers coffee from Intelligentsia Coffee. Raines said a House Blend, usually a dark to medium roast, a "single-origin," usually a lighter roast; and a decaf are brewed every day.

"We change up the coffees every couple of days so the customer can try all the different blends and single- origins and really get a sampling of the different true coffee flavors that chain coffee places do not have," Raines said. The shop provides information about each brew so customers read about the farm or location it came from, the farmer and the bean flavors.

Grounded uses Intelligentsia Coffee, which is a direct trade coffee.

"Since I made the decision the open a coffee shop, the easiest of the one million decisions I have had to make since then was choosing Intelligentsia -not just because it is my favorite coffee or because it's a Chicago-based roasting house - it's a great company!" Raines said. She said the company educated her about coffee and how to make it.

Grounded also offers macchiato, cappuccino, latte, Chai tea, matcha, steeped tea, iced coffee, cold brew and pastries. Raines said the pastries are from Spilt Milk Bakery in Oak Park and they have a variety of pastries offered, including muffins, oat bars, banana break, coffee cake and cookies. During the week, the shop also offers avocado toast or peanut butter toast.

Raines grew up on the south side of Chicago, but has been a resident of Mokena for 14 years. She lives Mokena with her husband and four children. Before opening up Grounded, Raines worked as a nurse for 23 years.

She said she always wanted to own her own business.

"The idea of making that business a coffee shop was because there were no coffee shops in the area anything like the ones I would go to in the city, I like coffee, and the location was perfect for a coffee shop," Raines said. "So I went for it. A lot of people ask if this was something I have always dreamed about; I wish I could give them a fairy tale answer, but it really was a decision I didn't think that much about."

Everyone who works at Grounded is from the Lincoln-Way area, Raines said. There are current Lincoln-Way East and Central students, some graduates, and some college students who work at the shop.

Raines thanked her husband, children, Frankfort Mayor Jim Holland his wife, the village board, the Chamber of Commerce and other businesses in the neighborhood for their support.

Grounded Coffee Bar is open seven days a week. Hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.