Gost Coffee Celebrates 1 Year At New Lenox Location

NEW LENOX, IL — When Gost Coffee owner Daniel Bednarz opened his New Lenox store in late 2019, he could not have predicted how his first year in business would go. A few months after opening his coffee roasting shop, businesses across the state were impacted when the coronavirus pandemic forced closures and changes to operations.

"We took a major hit at first," Bednarz told Patch.

In 2019, Bednarz started roasting coffee in his basement and selling his product at farmer's markets. His products sold well, and soon he was selling online, and began to look for a location to sell his project at a storefront. He found the home for Gost Coffee, at 1333 S Schoolhouse Road in New Lenox, at the in mid-2019 and opened the storefront in fall 2019.

When warmer temperatures hit in 2020, Bednarz said the store set up outdoor seating and a patio, and also held outdoor events like "Cars and Coffee."

Bednarz said "Cars and Coffee" was very successful, and he is planning on continuing the event this year. The event featured food trucks and of course, coffee, and customers could sit in their cars in the parking lot, or sit on a chair or blanket in the grass near the store.

"The whole community was very receptive," Bednarz said of his first year in business. "The whole business grew so organically, literally neighbor telling neighbor."

Giving a helping hand to the community is important, Bednarz said. Gost Coffee has worked to give back, by donating coffee to Silver Cross Hospital, and to first responders in New Lenox throughout the pandemic this past year.

Most recently, Bednarz offered free coffee to public works employees after the area was hit by heavy snow in February.

"[It's] to say thank you back to the community for what they do," Bednarz said.

Gost Coffee sells a variety of coffee products, and also offers pastries and baked goods, including gluten-free, vegan and dairy-free samplings. The business also recently started a partnership with Berkot's and its products can be found at Berkot's in New Lenox, Manhattan, and Mokena.

The store is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.