Common Grounds coffee shop to close in June

Outdoor market planned for last day of operation, June 25

By CAMDEN LAZENBY clazenby@shawmedia.com

SYCAMORE – Common Grounds, a Sycamore shop known for its coffee, tea, smoothies and community gathering spaces, will permanently close in June, just shy of seven years of operation, owners Michelle and Jeff Foster announced this week.

The Fosters said they plan to go out with a celebration, however, and said that the decision comes with bittersweet feelings as the struggles of running a business have taken their toll.

Common Grounds’ last day open – an outdoor market – will be in front of the shop from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 25. Jeff Foster said the outdoor art, music and food market is planned as a way to say thank you to those who’ve patronized their business over the past six years.

“Over the years, we’ve gotten so many warm expressions from people about how Common Grounds touched their lives, so I just want to say thank you,” Foster, 51, of DeKalb said.

The Fosters announced their plans May 16 via a post on the business’s Face- book page.

“Alas, life has been hard on Common Grounds and the Foster family too. We need our friends, encouragement and prayer,” the post reads. “Closing will hurt like heck. There is potential for new ownership to turn things around, but right now we need to set a closing date.”

Foster said his bank account was in dire straights and would take all the help he can get.

“We considered this an investment and expected it to be a profitable business at this point, but most of the time we’ve been running it it hasn’t been profitable at all,” Foster said May 17.

The business originally started as a community outreach, organic ministry that focused on combatting the

See COMMON GROUNDS, page 14

The Sandwich City Council gave the green light May 15 to a proposal to develop a community solar farm along Sandy Bluff Road.