How the American Dream started Buzz Coffee
Meet the Family
Agnes | OWNER
…on her background
“I immigrated to the US from Poland in the early 90s, just after Clinton became president. Then, I came to Chicago in my thirties to get a fresh start, and I met Stefan here. He introduced me to the world of good coffee. I had my first cappuccino with micro foam and that’s when I was like, “Okay, yeah I get it”. The economy wasn’t doing very well at the time. Despite that, we noticed that people still wanted their coffee. So we just decided to jump into the coffee business, with little knowledge or direction.
Ten years later, we still love coffee, but now we want to offer even more. I like to experiment a lot in the kitchen. I get bored very quickly if I have to repeat any steps, so I’m always searching for the new thing. Sometimes it goes straight to the garbage, and sometime it’s what we serve. But, all of the recipes come from instinct and creativity.”
…on the creation of Buzz
“I have a passion for interior design, so it has been great designing Buzz. Everything from the decorations, tables, pots… they’re all little projects that I love designing and constructing. Our coffee shop is my creative outlet.
Our original logo was actually designed by David Csicsco, who went on to design decorations for the White House! You can also see his work at the Belmont red line station, a mosaic that he created. Over the years, we’ve tweaked it here and there, but we’re happy with where it’s at now. No more tweaking!”
…on the philosophy of Buzz
“Agnes and Stefan don’t really care what other shops do, they just want to do what’s best for their customers. Some people may ask why their main offering is pour-over, rather than drip. It’s because quality and consistency is so important to them.” - Adriana
“There are so many steps to make a cup of coffee. From growing to farming to transporting and roasting and then grinding and brewing… We want to make sure that all of that work was worth it. Pour over is one of the best ways, grind the coffee just before the brewing and you capture all of the aroma and a few seconds later it’s done. A few extra seconds for a much more impactful experience.”
…on the future plans of Buzz
“Our meetings are super secret, you need a special pass code, nobody knows where they are! We’re sharpening our focus and goals. The coffee industry goes through waves of excitement. When we first started in 2010, most people weren’t familiar with pour-over coffee. A lot has changed since then, and I think we are starting to head into another exciting time.
We’re hoping to roll out some great new offerings in the spring, with the help of Adriana. It takes a village to run a successful coffee shop, so I’m thankful for all of the employees we have. We’re looking into healthy options for snacks and food for our shop this year. We noticed that there weren’t very many healthy options around us for lunch, and we don’t want people to have to leave to go find food.”
…on Adriana
“Adriana become a part of the team because she has a lot of patience. She knows how to brainstorm ideas, and push for her ideas when she needs to push. It’s been great to have a third person as part of the leadership at Buzz, she brings a new dynamic and energy. Sometimes that third person is really crucial when making company decisions.”
Adriana | DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
…on her background
“Growing up in Michigan, my mom had a coffee shop, so I’ve always been very fond of coffee and being caffeinated. After college, I was working for a law firm but quickly realized it wasn’t for me. So I decided to move to Chicago, about three years ago, for a fresh start and to figure out what I wanted to do. A few months in, I developed a corneal ulcer in my eye which left me incapable of doing anything for several months. I started to run out of money and was like, “Well, let me find a coffee shop. I know coffee”.
That’s when I met Agnes and Stefan. Buzz was holding job interviews and I was interested. I live just down the street, it’s a cool spot, and I needed money, so it was perfect timing. Initially, it was just a job to pay the bills, but once I started to get to know Agnes and Stefan, I realized that I really wanted to become a part of Buzz. Agnes is such a badass, she does so much all the time. Once I figured out my role here, and what the potential was, I knew that it was a great fit.”
…on her relationship with coffee
“Since I was around coffee from an early age, it has always been very comforting. My favorite type of coffee is our Ethiopian, I usually make it pour-over. I really love being able to taste all of those fruity and delicious notes. At the end of the day, my needs are food, water, shelter, and coffee.
Nowadays, coffee is such an integral part of communities, you want to make sure that you’re growing within the community. We want people to come in and get the feeling that they’re at home.”
…on her hobbies
“In my free time, I love doing Ju-Jitsu. I get to channel my feistiness.”
