New Oak Forest Café A Culture-Inspired, Bright Addition To Cicero Ave.

OAK FOREST, IL — A new café has delightfully made its debut on Cicero Avenue in Oak Forest.

As word has trickled out about Café de Miro co-owner Botan Alagoz has been pleasantly surprised by the warm reception.

"People who have been to the shop have been coming again and again," Alagoz said. "We haven’t done really advertising."

Customers have found their way there organically, as some who have stopped in leave rave reviews on neighborhood social media pages. Business seems to be growing naturally, Alagoz said, which has been ideal.

"We’re slowly building foot traffic, which isn’t bad, because it gives us time to adjust well and organize ourselves to receive more foot traffic," Alagoz said.

Alagoz owns the café with his mother Fatos and father Apo. Originally from Istanbul, Turkey, the family moved to the United States seven years ago, Alagoz said.

Together, the family operates two additional Café de Miro locations, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Alagoz also launched student-centric Midnight Express Café.

Café de Miro is coined as Mediterranean fast-casual dining, and "an unorthodox twist on the Kurdish cuisine of casual eating and breakfast," according to its website. The Oak Forest location's menu is influenced by the success they've seen at their Michigan ones, Alagoz said.

"For the most part, we know what sells at our locations in Grand Rapids," Alagoz said. "For the other part, my mom is a great cook—she has a really good understanding of flavors, so that influences the menu decisions."

A look at the menu for the Michigan locations reveals items like falafels, chicken gyro, hummus, Shasuka, and paninis. It also features Vegan offerings. The menu for Oak Forest spotted shortly after opening includes hummus, guacamole, Tzatziki, and a selection of breakfast croissants.

"It's pretty well-rounded," Alagoz said.

They focus on sourcing fresh ingredients, he added. Their bread needs are met by Chicago-based West Town Bakery. Their coffee beans are Intelligentsia. They also partner with a brand for syrups for coffees and teas.

"We want to make sure we get good products, and make good items on the menu," he said. "It’s a small menu, but it’s a small restaurant."

Alagoz, who has been a barista since he was 18, said that experience also plays into the beverage offerings, which include tea, coffee, lattes, and specialty drinks.

"The drink menu sort of gets influenced by what I think would be good combinations as far as flavors," he said.

The business moved into commercial space in the newly constructed mixed-use development. Alagoz and his family knew the project's Kinzie Builders, he said, and it seemed a simple choice. He also lives in the units above the retail space. Just north of the Oak Forest Metra station,the building offers 75 apartments as well as first-floor commercial space. A dilapidated apartment building previously stood on the spot, and was bulldozed in August 2023 to make way for the new development.

"We know the builders, they have a couple of projects in the pipeline for Oak Forest," he said. "This was the first building. The conversation kind of started from there."

Alagoz has embraced the opportunity to get started in the fresh space.

"I think it’s been great," he said, adding that word of mouth has been helpful in the café's first days open.

Café de Miro is open at 15646 Cicero Ave., Suite A. Hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays, and Sundays 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.