We are a family-owned coffee business, creating a space for people to come together (and enjoy great coffee).
We picked the name OpenDoor because, with us, everyone belongs. We are thrilled to finally be able to welcome folks into a physical coffee shop that embodies the message of "Come on in, the door is open!"
Book the coffee truck for your wedding, family reunion or company picnic.
Our Mission
We purpose to offer a space where you find a home away from home -- a place to relax, be yourself and share a good cup of coffee.
“Ask, and the gift is yours. Seek, and you’ll discover. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. For every persistent one will get what he asks for. Every persistent seeker will discover what he longs for. And everyone who knocks persistently will one day find an open door.
~Matthew 7:7-8 (TPT)
It all started when…
We are the Bradacs. A family of six (yes, we have four boys!). Nick grew up in the Chicago suburbs, graduated from NIU and somewhere along the way met Steph, a coffee-loving Seattle-native working in Chicagoland. After tying the knot in St. Charles, Nick's job took us to Atlanta for a few years and then to Joplin, Missouri for a few more years. While living out of state, Nick's parents sold the family home in Batavia and moved west to Genoa, falling in love with its wide open spaces and small town charm. When the opportunity came for us to move back to Illinois, living near family and settling in Genoa was a no-brainer.
I, Steph, frequently found myself in conversations with girlfriends that went something like this: "Wouldn't it be awesome not to have to drive to a bigger town or city to enjoy espresso with friends at a coffee shop? Wouldn't it be even more awesome if there were a family-friendly space like this in our town? Something with comfy couches and long tables for young and old to gather around? A spot where people felt welcomed and at home -- a virtual living room for our town."
Over a birthday dinner in 2016 we found ourselves, again, discussing the need for a concept like this in our town and then something just clicked. Why not Genoa? Why not us?
What's followed has been many hours at the drawing board, consulting with family, friends and Genoa city officials, researching feasibility, meeting with a business mentor and coffee roasters, scouting possible locations and dreaming big!
In the Fall of 2017 we entered our dream into the Chipstarter contest put on by Chip Gaines of Magnolia and Fixer Upper fame. While our submission was not selected, we sure had fun making this video and articulating the dream that is OpenDoor Coffee.
We decided to find a way to start small and in the spring of 2018 found a vehicle to quite literally move our dream forward. A family farm in Woodstock, IL was selling a, once vegetable truck, 1983 Chevy Grumman. Over the course of a year, with the help of many YouTube videos, and help of friends and family, we converted the old girl into a coffee shop on wheels.
We had an amazing first season on our coffee truck in the summer/fall of 2019, mainly operating from the parking lot of Tails and Nails pet groomer in Genoa. We attended a lot of fun events in and around Genoa, as well as enjoyed offering our coffee, drinks and treats at the DeKalb Farmer’s Market and even on campus at NIU (Nick’s Alma Mater). We had a truly magical time and felt so blessed by the support from the community, near and far.
On February 21, 2020, the building at 502 W Main St, Genoa, IL was purchased by Broad Oak Genoa Properties, LLC (aka Mark and Luan Bradac - Nick’s parents) with the express purpose of renovating the commercially zoned residence into a second floor two bedroom apartment for rent, and the first floor OpenDoor Coffee Cafe and Drive-Thru!
We got right to work pouring lots of time and TLC into the building while serving coffee from the truck and hosting other mobile vendors and events on site in what was a wonderful, and much longer, second season from mid-March to mid-December.
In June of 2021 we opened our drive-thru and in June of 2022 finished the interior coffee shop. We are so excited to provide a space where all y’all can come enjoy one another and our great town all year round. The OpenDoor Coffee truck (“Doorthy”) will continue to hit the road visiting farmer’s markets, weddings, festivals, and private events in and around DeKalb County.
We look forward to seeing even more pieces of our dream fall into place with the help and support of the folks and the fine town, Genoa, IL, we call home.
#goodcoffeemakesyousmile
- Steph and Nick Bradac
