A 'Dream Come True' (Again), Grounded Coffee Bar Opens In New Lenox

NEW LENOX, IL — If you want to sip coffee and talk pipe dreams, Rachael Giantomasso has just the place. She knows that feeling all too well.

Giantomasso and husband Stephen Giannone had one of their own, and have now seen it come to fruition, twice over. The pair recently opened a second, New Lenox location of their Frankfort-based Grounded Coffee Bar.

"It's a dream come true, twice," Giantomasso told Patch, laughing.

Grounded Coffee Bar, 2111 Calistoga Dr., opened its doors April 26, building on the success of its predecessor and downtown Frankfort location at 19 Ash St. Giantomasso and Giannone, who live in Frankfort, had been talking about opening their own coffee shop since their courtship.

"When we first started dating, we always talked about how cool it would be to own a coffeehouse," Giantomasso said. "It was a pipe dream in the early 2000s. When we got the opportunity to buy Frankfort, it was a dream come true."

As business at the Frankfort location grew, the two decided they could take the concept a step further, with an additional location. The Laraway Road location opened as they approach their second anniversary at the Frankfort one.

Originally a Peotone native, Giantomasso said it's been a thrill to bring her business in nearby.

"Having grown up around here—New Lenox, Frankfort, Manhattan, Mokena—the area is very familiar to me," she said. "I felt like it needed a little hometown coffee shop here."

The Frankfort location of Grounded first opened in 2018, under different owners. It changed hands in 2020, before then becoming theirs in 2022. The Frankfort location will stay in business, in addition to the New Lenox one.

"We were just looking to cement ourselves in the community a little bit," she said.

When talks of expansion started, New Lenox felt natural to them, she said. The location, though in a strip mall, has a charm that most similar setups lack, she said.

"It’s really hard to recreate what’s in Frankfort, it’s so unique," she said. "I love that this plaza doesn’t feel like a strip mall. I’ve been driving past this plaza since I lived in Peotone.

"I love the clock tower, and it’s right by the train station. There’s really nothing down this stretch, for all of these people who live in these homes."

Both Giantomasso and her husband have other business ventures—she with a sympathy gift business and he with an accounting firm—but the two share a background in the service industry. They met when Giantomasso was a bartender in Chicago. They also both previously ran bars.

"Coffee’s a lot easier than alcohol," she said, laughing. "Coming up with new drinks—it’s all very similar to coming up with alcoholic drinks. It’s a familiar experience for us."

The shops serve Intelligentsia Coffee—"We don't mess with the best," Giantomasso says—but with creative touches.

"We make it our own," Giantomasso said.

Each month features themed drinks—April's were all "April shower"-esque, with "rainy" names. The Wednesday or Thursday of each month, they also offer a coffee flight preview of the drinks for the coming month.

"Fun, whimsical flavors," Giantomasso said. "We like to change it up. We’re working on special drinks for Star Wars Day. ... We want to make coffee fun and accessible."

Teas, lemonades, pastries, donuts, breakfast sandwiches, and more are also on the menu. But equally as important as what's on the menu, is the atmosphere they've strived to create. They want customers to sit down, take some time, and enjoy themselves, not feel rushed out the door.

"My main driving factor for both stores is building community, a place where you can take your kids, or your kids can go," she said. "A place where you can go with a girlfriend, don’t have to spend $50–100 to have a nice time. You can get a cup of coffee, you can hang out. You can play a game of cards at your table.

"Restaurants are trying to 'turn and burn' you. They're giving you the check before you've even taken a bite of your food. I don’t want that to be this."

The spouses are parents to three special needs children ages 13, 8, and 6, as well as their late son who would be turning 11. They've partnered with Lincoln-Way area and District 210 Special Education programs to assist students in developing life skills. Participants at Lincoln-Way Area Special Education District 843's Pioneer Grove place stickers on their coffee cups as part of their life skills transition class, she added. They plan to partner with Lincoln-Way West in a similar program. It's a concept she holds close to her heart, especially with her own children.

"They are the sweetest, most joy-filled kids," she said. "Having a place where they’ll always have that income, if they want to work here no matter what happens to us—is super-important to us."

They've also built staffs that feel like family, she added.

"We’re obsessed with our staff," she said. "We love them."

The setting at the New Lenox location is cozy, with warm green colors on the walls, tin tile ceilings, and the trademark stained-glass art bearing the Grounded name hanging on the wall. The Frankfort location came with the name, and they liked it so much, it stuck.

"We love it," Giantomasso said. "We have a neon sign at the Frankfort location that says 'Stay Grounded.' It’s kind of like our mantra. Relax, take a load off, have a conversation, work from here."

The Grounded business gives her a chance to also continue her creative endeavor LJG Candles & Gifts, a sympathy gift business. Born of her grief following the loss of their son in 2014, Giantomasso started the business offering mostly candles with keepsakes inside. It's now expanded to wood ornaments, signs, memorial tiles or jewelry.

"If you can think of it, I can make it," she said.

Her creativity was put to good use in the New Lenox spot. Formerly a nail salon, it was a complete demolition and re-build. They will continue to tweak the interior, adding wall hangings and other decor. In the moment, they're just ectastic to be open.

"It was definitely a learning experience," she said, "and it was very emotional at times."

They'll add more special events and offerings, as well—their book club will move from Frankfort to New Lenox—and there's talk of an Uno tournament. They welcome anyone to pop in, pull out a board game and stay awhile.

The new location brings something special for families in the area, she said, and they've already seen some stop in for a doughnut and a coffee before going about their days. Customers at the Frankfort location were coming from around the area, including Mokena, New Lenox, and Manhattan.

"One of our regulars in Manhattan was begging me to open in Manhattan," she said, laughing. "This is as close as we could get."

Giantomasso hopes customers find it as comfortable as she intended.

"It’s the perfect place to not work from home, but work from home, or study," she said.

Grounded Coffee Bar, 2111 Calistoga Dr., in New Lenox is open Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The New Lenox location has now also been added to the Grounded app, for online orders.

Follow them on Facebook and Instagram for real-time menu updates, event schedules, and more!