Alchemy Coffee will return March 1, owner says

A small note taped to a coffee shop’s window created a quite a stir recently in Wilmette.

The message, “In-store retail operations closed indefinitely,” written on the back of an envelope, had loyalists of Alchemy Coffee House worried about the beloved shop’s future.

But owner Blaire Cooke cleared things up, telling The Record that while health issues forced a temporary shutdown of the small Linden Square shop, Alchemy will return by Friday, March 1.

“It was an impossible situation that we had to get better,” Cooke said. “… We needed a break.”

Alchemy Coffee House, 416 Linden Ave., opened in 2005 and is well known around town for its house-roasted coffee and homemade scones — both of which are also available for home delivery.

Cooke said Alchemy was considering expansion a few years ago, but the onset of the pandemic put a pin in that idea.

For now, though, Cooke said the health complications are easing up and he’s looking forward to reopening the shop’s doors March 1.

Alchemy Coffee House is open from 7 a.m.-1 p.m. every Friday-Sunday, but delivery orders are always available and complete within 24 hours. For more information, email enjoy@alchemycoffeehouse.com or call (224) 522-1890.

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