(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The second you enter October Cafe in Norwood Park, you know it’s not quite like many coffee shops you’ve been to before.
The small business, which opened in August, is a celebration of Audrey Borden’s relationship with her wife and fellow cafe owner, Michelle Gonzalez.
“Me and Michelle actually met in October, back in 2019. And then this past October in 2023, we got married,” Borden says. “So, the whole theme kind of sprung out of our relationship and our love.”
They love the month so much that it became the shop’s namesake. The space is adorned with festive chair covers, Halloween decorations and, of course, lots of pumpkins, all from Borden and Gonzalez’s own homes.
But the star of October Cafe is, of course, the coffee.
“You can pretty much order any traditional coffee. But at the same time, we have fall year-round. So, you can order any of our fall specialty drinks year-round,” Borden says.
The most popular drinks are the pumpkin spice latte. Order the “We Fell in Love in October Flight,” and you can sample every fall specialty drink.
Also making October Cafe unique, Gonzalez says, is that it’s within a “small-business desert.”
“We're kind of clicking on to the small businesses that are in the area, but we're one of the newer coffee shops here. And I feel like in a couple years, we're going to see more small businesses.”
Gonzalez says October Cafe is also woman-, queer-, and Latina-owned, something you don’t see often in a predominantly white Norwood Park.
“It just means a lot because I add to the diversity in the area, and I show other Latinas and Latinos, that you can make it even in an area that you might not see others who look like you. And I feel like by me and Audrey showing that we're a same-sex couple, and we're making a business in this area that might not be seen a lot.”
She says the community has been supportive. She and Borden are already brainstorming ways they can expand and continue providing good coffee and good vibes to the community.
“Our plan is to keep on being open about who we are and not shy away from that because it is what it is. And our love is real. And at the end of the day, as long as we're happy and we feel good, we're going to continue with the business.”
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