Botanical Café
Are you hunting for the perfect zen-like space to work during the day? Look no further than Botanical Café, a shop on Lincoln Ave. that pairs local coffee and sandwiches with a side of house plants. It’s the perfect combination, and we’re glad that they chose Northcenter to make their dreams happen! Delaney, co-owner of Botanical alongside her husband Bryan, walked us through how they took their passions and made them into a thriving business.
1. When did you open? Why Northcenter?
We opened in December of 2019. When we lived in Ravenswood, we would go on bike trips often. One day we were biking down Lincoln Avenue and every window on our current shop had a “For Rent” sign on it. We thought we could never afford a space like this, but surprisingly it was in our budget! It feels like it wasn’t a choice we made - the world brought us here and we can’t imagine being anywhere else but Northcenter.
2. What came first, plants or coffee?
I have been a barista on and off for the past decade. I always loved food and coffee, and Bryan is a huge plant guy who’d been dreaming of opening a shop. Our dreams just sort of merged together perfectly at the same time and we thought why keep waiting?
3. What’s your favorite drink and plant this morning?
I’m drinking a Café Au Lait with oat milk right now, but I also love a Cortado. As for plants, my favorite is alocasia, also known as an elephant plant. We have several varieties including regal shields and black velvet.
4. Do you use local suppliers?
Of course! Our coffee is from Conscious Cup, which is in the northwest suburbs near where we both grew up. They make such good coffee, plus they’re just amazing people. Our tea comes from Rare Tea Cellars just down the road, and we have twelve varieties. Most of our menu is made in house, and our baked goods and sandwich bread is made by West Town Bakery. One of our customers favorite items is the bacon jam that we put on our BLT’s. It’s so popular many want us to start canning it!
5. Everyone went crazy for plants during the pandemic. Which was the most popular?
Yes, yes they did. The last week before we shut down for a month in April of 2020 was huge. Pothos and Philodendrums are definitely the most popular as they are so easy to care for. In general though, we want the plant to live, and we want you to be happy. Send us photos or questions and we’ll always give you advice. We’re happy to help!
6. Anything else you’d like to share?
We wouldn’t still be here if we didn’t have such a fantastic team. They have so much knowledge of both plants and coffee, and we have immense appreciation for them. We’d be drowning without them!
Stop by Botanical Café soon to meet the team, and make sure to give them a follow @botanicalcafechicago!
