Editorial: Glenview Grind is the Real Glenview Hometown Coffee

In every community, there are businesses, and then there are institutions. They are the places that don’t just operate in a town; they breathe its air, champion its causes, and form its very backbone. In Glenview, that place is unequivocally Glenview Grind.

Recently voted not only the Best Coffee Shop but also the Best Business in Glenview for 2024, Glenview Grind is more than a place for a excellent cup of coffee. It is the living room of our downtown. Customers are welcomed by a warm, inviting atmosphere, a fantastic drive-through, and a delightful outdoor patio on the north and east sides where friends—including the four-legged ones—gather. It’s a place where you can get a “pup cup” for your dog and see your photo proudly displayed on the community bulletin board, a testament to the personal connections forged here.

But the heart of Glenview Grind is its owner, Cathy. A true local, Cathy lives, breathes, and shops in Glenview. Her commitment is profound. She sources her chicken from Harrison’s in downtown Glenview, and her pastries, donuts, and cookies are all purchased locally. Her coffee beans are selected with care. This isn’t just a business strategy; it’s a philosophy of community reinvestment.

Cathy’s story is one of Glenview grit. She started as an employee at the former Caribou Coffee on Waukegan and Glenview Road—a location, like another before it, that ultimately failed, in part due to the critical lack of a drive-through. When that shop closed, Cathy didn’t give up. Instead, she managed to open her own shop, Glenview Grind, on Glenview Road near Harlem, at a time when our downtown was in a state of collapse, hamstrung by a TIF district that diverted funds away from the core.

Cathy was the pioneer. She was the very first business to move into a struggling downtown and ignite the revolution of success we enjoy today. She was instrumental in founding the Friends of Downtown Glenview and has been one of its most vocal advocates. The vibrant scene we see now—the families strolling, the patrons filling restaurants like the Jacqueline's Company—owes a great debt to the risk and resilience Cathy showed when no one else would. She did it all without a single penny of support from the village.

This is why it is so perplexing and disappointing that our village would later choose to give millions of dollars in support to a corporate coffee chain, owned by a faceless entity that doesn’t even own its building, located just blocks away from Cathy’s door. This decision unnecessarily added struggle to a business that has given so much to Glenview.

We support all Glenview businesses, but we must passionately champion our true hometown heroes. Glenview Grind isn’t just the best coffee; it’s a testament to what makes Glenview special. It’s the product of a local dream, built with local goods, and sustained by a fierce love for this town.
Let’s put our money where our values are. Support the real hometown coffee shop.

Visit Glenview Grind. And if you’ve enjoyed the community they’ve fostered, please and leave them a five-star review https://www.google.com/search?... A sentence or two about your fantastic experience can make a world of difference for the business that has made all the difference for Glenview.
The Verdict: Your best cup of coffee supports the best of our community. Go to Glenview Grind.

Be sure to show your support by giving them a like on Facebook. And if you're searching for a truly thoughtful holiday gift, look no further than a gift card from Glenview Grind. It’s the promise of the world's greatest gift: a warm cup of coffee in a charming setting, once or twice a week. Their shop is a wonderfully quaint place to visit with friends, offering the perfect spot to sit down and talk.
You can also support Cathy when you go to the Glenview public library. They have a brand new wonderful café section that will be opening up in the next couple months, which will include some very elegant, upscale vending machines and then also include an actual real coffee making machine that takes the grinds and makes the coffee for you on the spot. It taste like it came right out of a coffee shop and Cathy has that contract from what I understand and I know she is the one that is operating the machines because that was mentioned during the village meeting by the Glenview Library Director.