Where Lombard businesses connect

The Lombard Chamber of Commerce exists to help local businesses thrive. They connect businesses to each other, advocate for the local economy, and create opportunities for growth.

Spiritus Coffee is looking forward to their future ribbon cutting but still happily supported by the team like Rick at our Chamber. It means a lot to us and here's why that matters.

What the Chamber Does

Chambers of Commerce can feel old-fashioned, but their function is timeless: bringing businesses together.

The Lombard Chamber:

• Connects businesses: Networking events, member directories, introductions
• Advocates: Represents business interests to local government
• Promotes: Markets Lombard as a place to shop and do business
• Supports: Resources, education, and community for business owners

For a small business like Spiritus, these connections matter. We've been invited to participate in the farmers market, Spooktacular, Candy Cane Lane and others. All possible because of the Lombard Chamber. 

We believe in Lombard. This is our home. The Chamber is has made us feel a part of the Village. A community with other businesses. Connected to the community beyond just running our business.

• Supporting an organization that supports local business
• Connecting with other Lombard businesses
• Being part of conversations about our community's future
• Showing up for Lombard

It's not just good for business—it's good for community.

For Other Lombard Businesses

If you run a business in Lombard, consider joining the Chamber and being a part of a Chamber event. The connections alone are worth it. And together, we're stronger advocates for the local economy we all depend on.

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Spiritus Coffee Co.
Proud Lombard Chamber member.

Your local hardware store carries local coffee

There's something right about finding locally roasted coffee at your neighborhood hardware store. Both represent a choice: local over chain, community over corporate, neighbor over stranger.

Jim, Molly, and the team at Ace Hardware Lombard called us and told us that they have an interest in Local Lombard brands and supporting small business. They were the first wholesale account to sell Spiritus Coffee. It turned out to be a great fit. And we think Ace is exactly where it belongs.

Why Hardware Stores Matter

Local hardware stores are community anchors. They're where you go when something breaks, when you're starting a project, when you need advice from someone who actually knows.

Unlike big box stores, local Ace stores are independently owned. The person behind the counter might be the owner. They know the neighborhood. They've helped your neighbors. In the case of Ace Hardware Lombard- they practice what they preach and chose local fresh roasted Spiritus Coffee. 

That's the kind of business we want to partner with.

Local Finds Local

Ace Hardware Lombard chose to carry Spiritus because they believe in supporting local. Same reason we partner with them.

When you buy Spiritus at Ace:

• You're supporting a local roaster
• You're supporting a local hardware store
• Your money circulates in Lombard
• You're part of the local economy

That's a lot of good from one bag of coffee.

Find Us There

Next time you're at Ace Hardware Lombard, grabbing supplies, getting a key made, asking a question, look for Spiritus Coffee. Fresh roasted, locally sourced, unexpectedly available at your hardware store.

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Spiritus Coffee Co.
Available at unexpected places.

Not every partnership is about selling coffee

JL Vintage isn't a retail partner, they don't sell Spiritus Coffee in their shop. They're part of our community network, bringing coolness to Lombard,  and we want to show them some love.

Some relationships are commercial. Others are simply supportive. JL Vintage falls into the second category: friends, neighbors, fellow Lombard small business owners who have always supported us and we are happy to cheer each other on.

The Vintage Connection

JL Vintage is one of those shops in Lombard that makes me so excited to be a Lombardian. JL Vintage makes Lombard cool. They deal in vintage and antique goods, clothes, guitars, records, stuff with history, character, nostalgia and story. There's a parallel to what we do.

Mass-produced, disposable goods are everywhere. Vintage shops and small-batch roasters both push against that tide. We both believe that quality, care, and provenance matter. That things should be made (or preserved) with intention. We don't want Amazon Coffee and we don't want Amazon stuff. We want a coffee ritual and a record to listen to with intentionality not a Spotify playlist and a drive through. Keep it real with JL.

Different products, similar values.

Community Over Commerce

Not every connection needs a transaction. Sometimes community means:

• Recommending each other to customers
• Showing up at local events
• Cheering wins and supporting through challenges
• Being part of the same fabric

JL Vintage brings the best musicians to the downtown markets. quickly has become a part of our Lombard fabric. We're grateful for the connection and the amazing Vintage markets that they have brought to downtown Lombard.

Visit Them

If you love vintage finds, check out JL Vintage. Ask where to get good coffee, They may be sipping their Spiritus House Blend and will def be recommending a coffee almost as cool as them, Spiritus, they know.

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Spiritus Coffee Co.
Friends and neighbors in Lombard.

Happy New Year. We hope you had a lovely New Year's Eve, whether it was a big party or a solitary night of rest. The new year is a natural time to reflect on what went well and what we'd like to change or improve for the coming year. We've given up on "resolutions;" it seems like a quick way to feel good and then a quick way to feel bad when we forget, fail, or find that we were too ambitious in our goals.

Instead, we set intentions for the year. Things that we'd like to use as guidelines for our thoughts and actions to help achieve that change and improvement we tried to find through resolutions to do this or be that. An intention that we have every year (and have some stake in, let's be honest) is to buy from small businesses when we can.

It's not just a vague "feel-good" concept. Buying from local, small businesses has noticeable, discrete effects that go beyond theory. When we're talking coffee, it's simple -- when you buy from a local roaster (Spiritus.), you get fresher coffee, which leads to better flavor and quality of bean. And that's what we're going for, right? Delicious coffee? (A: Yes, it is.) Our coffee doesn't sit in a warehouse for months at a time; it's going from green to roasted bean and to your door in two to three days. It's magic.

But, it's also bigger than the cup. Buying local encourages sustainability; there's a smaller carbon footprint when there aren't trucks and warehouses and overproduction (waste). It stimulates the local economy, creating jobs and helping small businesses thrive. And, let's be honest -- you're not going to get better customer service from a chain -- because every single customer matters to us and we are always working to innovate and grow with you.

In Lombard, we are collaborating with Soapy Roads -- they've made one of their handcrafted soaps with our coffee. We personally roast our coffee, and they are personally making soap with all sorts of different scents (but we're partial to the coffee). We are a local business, and we also support our fellows. Go and check them out -- they're on Instagram here and Facebook here.

Happy New Year to all.