|
|
|
Espresso yourself, smile a latte. To some the expression may sound silly, but to Fred and Judy Kraus, it is their livelihood.
The East Peoria couple opened Eysal’s Coffee Roasters —an acronym for the above phrase — in the summer of 2008.
“We opened a coffee shop in the middle of the summer at the beginning of a recession and we’re still here,” Fred Kraus said.
While the community often struggles with the correct pronunciation of the name, Kraus said it was determined by chance.
“My wife actually told me to flip a coin,” he said. “Eysal’s (with a long-I sound) is what won.”
Located at 400 E. Washington St., Kraus credits great customer service and quality of product as what has helped the business through the years.
Three years after opening the business’s doors, Eysal’s has a large local following and has been leant the support of the city.
The coffee shop received a $25,000 loan that the city gives to local businesses to help expand.
“We’re very pleased about that,” Kraus said. “It just simply allows us the opportunity to reach into the next level of our business as a progression step.”
Kraus said it is both exciting and scary to take that next step.
“But when people are asking you for growth, it’s ‘do you want to remain the small little fixture or do you want to expand?’”
Plans for the money include purchasing a new, larger roaster, as well as a new printing system that allows professional-quality customization.
Although some of the equipment is changing, Kraus said the public can still expect to find “the same product of quality and consistency that they’ve come to expect from Eysal’s.”
Eysal’s patrons can find various coffee drinks including the Eysalator — four shots of in-house roasted espresso with flavoring, steamed milk and whipped cream — as well as tea, smoothies and baked goods.
The Krauses recently expanded to include lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Menu items include staples like chicken salad and the angus burger with cheese.
Kraus said the loan from the city will help to streamline the businesses’s workforce. “This is the first outside money that we’ve asked for,” Kraus said. “So we’re going to take very good care of it and put it in the best light possible not only for the Eysal’s product and the Eysal’s name, but also for the community.”
When it comes down to it, Kraus said he is very grateful for the support.
“What makes it so intangible for us is there is someone, or a city, or a community that believes in us as much as we believe in ourselves,” he said.
Espresso yourself, smile a latte. To some the expression may sound silly, but to Fred and Judy Kraus, it is their livelihood.
The East Peoria couple opened Eysal’s Coffee Roasters —an acronym for the above phrase — in the summer of 2008.
“We opened a coffee shop in the middle of the summer at the beginning of a recession and we’re still here,” Fred Kraus said.
While the community often struggles with the correct pronunciation of the name, Kraus said it was determined by chance.
“My wife actually told me to flip a coin,” he said. “Eysal’s (with a long-I sound) is what won.”
Located at 400 E. Washington St., Kraus credits great customer service and quality of product as what has helped the business through the years.
Three years after opening the business’s doors, Eysal’s has a large local following and has been leant the support of the city.
The coffee shop received a $25,000 loan that the city gives to local businesses to help expand.
“We’re very pleased about that,” Kraus said. “It just simply allows us the opportunity to reach into the next level of our business as a progression step.”
Kraus said it is both exciting and scary to take that next step.
“But when people are asking you for growth, it’s ‘do you want to remain the small little fixture or do you want to expand?’”
Plans for the money include purchasing a new, larger roaster, as well as a new printing system that allows professional-quality customization.
Although some of the equipment is changing, Kraus said the public can still expect to find “the same product of quality and consistency that they’ve come to expect from Eysal’s.”
Eysal’s patrons can find various coffee drinks including the Eysalator — four shots of in-house roasted espresso with flavoring, steamed milk and whipped cream — as well as tea, smoothies and baked goods.
The Krauses recently expanded to include lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Menu items include staples like chicken salad and the angus burger with cheese.
Kraus said the loan from the city will help to streamline the businesses’s workforce. “This is the first outside money that we’ve asked for,” Kraus said. “So we’re going to take very good care of it and put it in the best light possible not only for the Eysal’s product and the Eysal’s name, but also for the community.”
When it comes down to it, Kraus said he is very grateful for the support.
“What makes it so intangible for us is there is someone, or a city, or a community that believes in us as much as we believe in ourselves,” he said.
