Coffee bar in Fox Lake serving tasty treats

Gary Kinsch of Richmond and Dawn Miller of Wonderlake enjoy drinks outside of Beva Caffe! Coffee Bar in Fox Lake. (Candace H. Johnson photo)

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FOX LAKE - Italy may be an ocean away, but local coffee lovers do not have to go far to get a little taste of the country. Beva Caffe! Coffee Bar opened its doors in 2007, and since then owners Kathy Godlewski and Terry Malone have strived to give customers a cup of coffee the way it’s supposed to be made. “We love coffee, and we wanted to introduce correctly made cappuccino and lattes,” said Godlewski. She and her partner also specialize in Italian desserts to complement the coffee drinks. Again, the goal is to make the desserts as authentic as possible. “I want to show people the way authentic Italian food is done,” Godlewski said. “When you taste what’s been done right, it’s really a treat.” Malone said one way the cafe ensures the quality of the coffee is by using manual espresso machines, instead of automatic machines. This gives the coffee maker more control over the quality of each drink, he said. “Every cup you buy today, or if you buy it three weeks from now, it will taste the same.” Malone said. “We’re here for dessert and coffee. People can go out to dinner and come to us for dessert and coffee.” But Godlewski and Malone want Beva Caffe! to be about more than just the food and drinks. “We want to be a place where the community can get together,” Malone said. “Sort of like ‘Cheers’ without the alcohol.” Godlewski said some customers have made it a habit of coming back for more than just the coffee and desserts. “It’s fun to watch when we have regulars coming and they didn’t know people when they first started coming. Now, they come in to see each other,” Godlewski said. Sande Shamash of Spring Grove is one of those regulars at Beva Caffe! He said he keeps coming back for the coffee and free Internet connection, but also for the community environment. “Terry and Kathy have said they want it to feel like coming into their home,” Shamash said. “One of the nice things is I’ve met these wonderful people I wouldn’t have otherwise met,” he said. Godlewski said she and Malone want to start spotlighting local musicians with performances on Friday and Saturday evenings. Their hope is to give local artists some exposure in the community while also providing entertainment for customers. Additionally, the cafe has hosted classes and programs for customers, including photography and computer classes, Godlewski said. She said she and Malone are always open to additional ideas from customers. “We try to talk to people to see what classes they are interested in and programs they want,” Godlewski said. All in all, Godlewski and Malone see themselves doing what national coffee chains can not accomplish. “We didn’t want to get on the main drag. We want this to be a small, community coffee bar. We’re not looking to be competing with chains,” Malone said. “We personalize it. We put the personal touch on there,” he said. If you go ... If you go ... Hours: 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays; 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays; and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays. Place: Beva Caffe! Coffee Bar is located at 7221 State Park Road in Fox Lake. Contact: Call 847-973-9424 for more information or visit the store’s Web site at www.bevacaffe.com.

Story by reporter Colin Selbo, cselbo@nwnewsgroup.com