Oswego’s newest coffee shop and wine bar, Oak + Bean, may open next month in village’s downtown

OSWEGO -- Whether to fuel up in the morning with a cup of coffee, or wind down in the evening with a glass of wine and a cheese board, Oak + Bean will soon be the newest filling station for Kendall County area residents.

Located in the ground floor of the Reserve at Hudson Crossing commercial and apartment building at Washington (Route 34) and Harrison streets, Oak + Bean originally planned to be open by August, but multiple setbacks have delayed construction.

Oak + Bean owner Kacie Wadycki said construction of the interior of her establishment is well underway, and she hopes to be open sometime in November.

Wadycki owns Krema Coffee House and Wine and Cheese Co. in Plainfield, and has combined the business models of both restaurants into one space with Oak + Bean.

Because Wadycki already runs a coffee shop and a wine and cheese bar, she has plenty of coffee beans sourced and wine and cheese vendors ready to stock the new location’s inventory.

Oak + Bean began staffing early this summer, and is currently taking applications and conducting interviews. Wadycki said once construction is complete, and they receive final inspection approval, putting in the final decorative touches will be the last step.

Wadycki has been in the wine industry for 10 years, and the coffee industry for eight. She worked in coffee shops for years before opening Krema Coffee House in 2017.

Oak + Bean will offer made from scratch pastries and will be the first coffee shop in Oswego that, like Krema, roasts only their own beans.

Wadycki said that roasting their own beans means they can directly source high-quality coffee beans from all over the world through fair trade, and roast them to the desired profiles.

Wadycki said compared with macro-roasters like Starbucks, Oak + Bean has the ability to be more hands-on throughout the supply chain process, giving them the ability to offer very high-end, sustainably sourced coffee.

“Our coffee should speak for itself,” Wadycki said. “You can’t get it any other place except Plainfield.”

They will offer unique crafted coffee drinks from seasonal menus, using locally sourced ingredients.

In addition to coffee and pastries, Oak + Bean will offer a variety of breakfast and lunch menu items, as well as charcuterie boards and small plates for dinner, with the entire menu available all day.

Oak + Bean will offer unique curated wines featuring smaller, boutique wines, from across the world and from vineyards across the U.S.

“We like to carry smaller boutique wines to introduce people to a higher quality of wine,” Wadycki said. “We try to source from all over, to support local wineries that are doing amazing things.”

Wadycki said they will have international wines from Italy, France, Spain and South Africa, and regional U.S. wines.

While the wine comes from all over the world, Wadycki said sourcing locally is very important to her businesses. Their flavored syrups used in the cafe are from a local woman-owned company, and their dairy is from a farm about an hour away.

“We like to get involved with the community,” Wadycki said. “A coffee shop, like any business, should be rooted deep into your community, wherever you are.”

Wadycki said she chose Oswego because its economy is booming.

“Its a beautiful town with a lot of cool businesses,” Wadycki said. “We’re still very excited to be a part of the location and part of the growth that’s happening.”