Business: Yogi’s Café
Address: 2959 Artesian Road, Naperville
Phone/Instagram: 630-995-3416, @yogiscafe59
Owner: Yogita Maduri, 51, of Naperville
Years in business: Five
What does your business do? “We sell coffee. Espresso drinks. And you can buy pastries here from local bakeries,” Maduri said.
When are you open? 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Do you ever close? “I closed once for Thanksgiving. But if my regulars wanted to have a cup of coffee, I said, ‘OK, what time are you coming because I’m going to open for an hour.’ … I am taking off a little bit to visit home for the past two years. Fifteen days, this place is closed. I already went (to India) this year to see my mother.”
How did the pandemic impact your business? “People were awesome. At the beginning, none of them came. But then I said to myself, ‘I need to be open so people can come enjoy a cup of coffee.’ One person came, they told other people I was open. All the neighborhood people were telling everyone else. People started coming in. I think they realized local businesses need to be supported. … Naperville, they love their local businesses. … If that was not the case, I would have shut down long ago.”
How long were you closed by the virus? “Four days. Then I said, ‘I need to do this.’ There were days when nobody came. Nobody. … I was the only person working. It taught me a lot, COVID-19.”
What did it teach you? “We’re all in this together.”
Why did you start this business? “I wanted to be a businesswoman. My dad was a businessman, a granite business in India.”
What were you doing before this? “I was a housewife. I used to work at a pancake house.”
What does a customer say? “This is my first time here. … I got the mocha latte. It’s good, not too sweet. You get the coffee taste. I like the coffee taste,” Akshata Mavanthoor, 29, of Naperville, said.
What do you like about this job? “I love interacting with people because everybody has a story. The minute they come in, they have a story on their face. I always tell my baristas, ‘Say good morning with a smile.’ And that will make (the customer’s) day. … They won’t be grumpy when they’re drinking a good up of coffee. You have to be in a good mood because your energy is going into the coffee.”
How many employees are here? “Five. They’re all part time. One barista has been with me four years, another three. … I’m here every day.”
Any negatives? “No. I love my job.”
When do you arrive? “I pick up the baked goods and come here by 6:15 in the morning.”
Where do get the coffee from? “I use Philosophy and they are from Forest Park. Also, I found another one, Carraro, an Italian brand that’s been in business for almost 100 years.”
What misconceptions do people have? “They think that I do sandwiches. They just walk away. That’s OK. … I want to educate people that coffee shops are fun. You can sit down with someone or with a book if you are by yourself.”
Is there a busy time? “Seven to 11.”
What’s your business philosophy? “I love my customers and I do make a good cup of coffee. The day I say I’m tired of that, that’s they day I close. (Owning a) coffee shop is a tough business. Margins are low. … I don’t use cheap ingredients. I don’t want to give a bad cup of coffee when they’re spending their hard-earned money for a good cup of coffee.”
How do you find new customers? “Word of mouth. I have done advertising and it didn’t work.”
What challenges do you face? “I don’t see anything like a challenge. You just do it. Like the Nike thing. It’s so true because every day you have to do what you have to do. That is my motto.”
Any favorite stories? “I introduce everyone to everyone. You should come in the morning. If I introduce you, they’ll start talking (with you). … They’re sweet people.”
Do you want a second location? “No, because the quality goes down.”
How much coffee do you drink each day? “I drink one Pauno’s Costado a day. One part espresso, one part milk.”
What’s your advice for someone starting a business? “Discipline yourself. You have to wake up early so you’re up and going. Do your homework every day at the end of the day or in the morning. … You don’t make excuses for anything.”
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. If you know of a business you’d like to see to profiled in Down to Business, contact Steve Metsch at metschmsfl@yahoo.com.
