Buzz Café

Every neighborhood needs a core. And in the Oak Park Arts District that vital center is The Buzz Café. This indie coffeehouse was launched a decade ago with the intention of being the center of attention, the gathering place, along Harrison Street.

The Buzz serves up coffee — organic and fair trade — to a.m. commuters. The breakfast trade is brisk with friends meeting up, a curious mix of business being transacted as notable locals plant themselves in the chairs handpainted every September by neighborhood kids and their families. Breakfast brings a full menu, from oatmeal to pancakes and waffles to egg dishes. (One healthy culinary note: The option to hash browns for breakfast is a side serving of salad.)

Then The Buzz morphs into the gathering spot for stay-at-home parents and their kids, who latch onto the couches and toys in the back of the place.

Morphing is a Buzz specialty owing to the tireless nurturing of founder Laura Maychruk. She showcases the work of local artists. She’s made Buzz the winter home of the Oak Park Farmers’ Market band. She hosts belly dancers from Intuit studio around the corner. She hosted packed houses for twice-a-week candidate forums the month before the April election. All while making sure lunch and dinner are served.

Maychruk, a former Trib reporter, publishes The Buzz, too. The coffeehouse’s newsletter is not only a marketing textbook in cross promotion with other local, independent shops, it is also home to some pointed insights from the proprietor herself.

Good reading. Good eating. And a powerful sense of welcoming and belonging. That’s The Buzz.