Being new to South Bend, there are still so many things to learn and discover about the city. And so we’ve decided to feature some of our favorite local businesses and people throughout the year. They are all places/people we personally love (and are not paid to tell you about them!). Our intent is merely to excite you about local assets!
Welcome to the Chicory Cafe, where you’ll find “the best cup of coffee in South Bend.”
The Chicory Cafe is a French Quarter style coffee house located on the corner of Jefferson and Michigan in downtown South Bend. It officially opened its doors in September 2005 and has been serving fresh coffee (the Chicory Cafe House Blend is their best seller!) ever since. The warm atmosphere, inviting aroma, and unique Bayou sounds make it feel like a retreat as soon as you step inside. And that’s before you’ve even tasted the coffee!
The cafe derives its name from the “chicory” root, which is ground and roasted just like a coffee bean and used as an additive or replacement for coffee. The root has no caffeine! It became popular when coffee was scarce and expensive (during the war years and depression/recession times). Alone, the chicory tastes bitter, but when added to coffee, it gives a deeper roasted flavor. The Chicory Cafe adds the root to its French roast coffee bean.
Part of the full Chicory Cafe experience includes a little bantering with Heather, the cafe owner. An encounter with Heather feels like meeting an old friend. She is genuine and honest and tells it like it is. Her love for people is evident in the way she interacts with her customers (many become regulars!). This girl with the bandana (she owns 10!) has made her New Orleans inspired coffee shop a must visit venue.
We had the chance to peek into the creative mind and vision behind the cafe:
XPose Photos: What inspired you to open your own business? Why coffee?
Heather: I was sick of the corporate world. I was in a very man-oriented business (of course, a WOMAN couldn’t POSSIBLY know what a 2-by-4 is!!) and wanted to do something where I could be my own boss. One thing I loved doing most was to relax in the cafes in New Orleans when on vacation. I love coffee, I love New Orleans, and South Bend was lacking a unique coffee house with GOOD coffee. Hence a French Quarter Style Coffee House.
XPose Photos: What is YOUR personal favorite item on the menu?
Heather: I drink the chicory coffee daily, but my ‘treat’ coffee is a Spanish latte, which is a latte in which we steam some sweetened condensed milk with the milk and sprinkle cinnamon on top. It’s kind of funny…I don’t like spicy foods, or olives–which are the most popular (and unique to South Bend) items on our menu. So, probably my favorite is the veggie sandwich with Cajun hummus on it.
XPose Photos: What is your favorite thing about New Orleans? How many times have you been?
Heather: I have been to New Orleans five times. It’s really hard to name a ‘favorite’ thing…I supposed the atmosphere in general is the biggest thing. And, of course, the music and food. The architecture is amazing, the people are friendly, I love history and they have a rich history that includes pirates! I don’t care for the heat and humidity, though, which is why I always go in May or October!
XPose Photos: Since the Chicory Cafe is a French Quarter Style Coffee House, do you do anything special in the shop for Mardi Gras?
Heather: Mardi Gras means “Fat Tuesday” and takes place the day before Ash Wednesday (so it’s not always the same Tuesday of every year). It’s called this because everyone would pig out on the day before giving up something for Lent. For Mardi Gras we have a ‘jazz lunch’ from Noon to 2pm. Everyone can come in and enjoy Jambalaya, Muffulettas, Po’ Boy Sandwiches, Beignets, etc. while listening to live jazz. We give away beads, of course! We also sell King Cakes–a popular Mardi Gras cake (a bit more like a huge cinnamon roll than a cake) in New Orleans for a few weeks up until Mardi Gras.
XPose Photos: What’s your favorite thing about downtown South Bend?
Heather: Really, just that it’s ‘downtown.’ That’s why I placed the cafe here rather than Grape road–a downtown just has a different, more unique, more exciting vibe than a strip mall. The little shops that are down here are unique and I appreciate them and can’t wait until the whole downtown is filled with them and NOT chain stores that have a cold, corporate, uninteresting feel.
XPose Photos: Any advice to entrepreneurs?
Heather: Oooh…if only someone had given ME some advice. Just expect to work hard for little to nothing for quite some time! But, if you have a unique idea and enjoy doing it, you can make it happen if you want it to. Patience and perseverance are the biggest things…I’ve never believed in get-rich-quick schemes and after 4 1/2 years I’m still not even making minimum wage, but I’ve developed a pretty steady business and know that it will only go up from here.
Check out the full breakfast, lunch, and drink menu on the Chicory Cafe website: www.chicorycafe.net.
After hearing numerous times that there is “nothing” in South Bend, this shoot and interview are so refreshing. Your pictures really catch a special atmosphere of this Cafe and I can’t wait to visit. What else is in South Bend???
I can’t wait to come and try the Chicory Cafe with you!! Miss you tons, love you lots!!
Wonderful. Can we go there when we come to visit?
these make me want to go there for coffee!
I was there on business. I wanted a good cup of coffee. saw two names chocolate something and chickory cafe. i went to the chocolate place not impressed. then i went to Chickory Cafe. Love the ambiance, the niceness, the whole thing. I personally if lived there would be a lot. I had the americana made with chickory wow that was the best chickory coffee i had. i ordered a sandwich for later and a scone. totally enjoyed the food. when i come back Chickory Cafe will be the first place I will go. Keep up the good work. I like uniqueness this what makes America wo beautiful.
Peace