Coffee Shop Likely to Open at The Daily Grind Location

LAKE BLUFF, IL - Lake Bluff could have a new coffee option soon as Libertyville's Hansa Coffee Roasters plans to open a shop on Walnut Avenue in the space most recently occupied by The Daily Grind butcher shop.

The village’s Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals, in reversing a decision last month, voted Wednesday night to recommend conditional approval of a special use permit for Hansa, which plans to have seating for 28 at the Lake Bluff property.

Village Administrator Drew Irvin said Thursday morning he expects the Village Board to consider an ordinance granting the permit at its next meeting.

The PCBZA first denied Hansa’s request for a recommendation in February, citing insufficient parking and the effect it would have on the immediate vicinity.

It was also thought to be too close of a competitor to Prairie Espresso, a coffee shop on Scranton Ave.

“I’ve supported them the last year and a half,” Prairie Espresso owner John Davis said of Hansa, which roasts its own coffee beans and sells its product to other coffee businesses. “I’ve exclusively used their beans...I find it a little bit crass they’re coming to town.”

But after a request from the Village Board was made to reconsider, the PCZBA voted in favor of recommending Hansa on Wednesday. 

The property is owned by Lake Effect Holdings.