Queen City Coffee Roasters — Restaurant in Plainfield

The other day, I was at home and wanted a cup of coffee. I quickly realized that I had various coffees at home that I have accumulated over the years, with all different ways to make them as well as various syrups to complete them to my own standard of perfection. So why search online for a coffee shop? I quickly realized what I was looking for…. I didn’t just want a cup of coffee. I wanted to experience a cup of coffee in a place where I felt at home away from home; an experience so rare but not impossible to create I believed, if only some business were to care and even value creating such an experience for the coffee drinker.

I sighed and did a Google search, while resisting the temptation to think that I might be an outdated fool for even thinking such a place might exist. I decided to give this place a try, not abandoning all hope just yet.

What I discovered was a place with a high ceiling and big bay windows facing the street. I was greeted with a smile as I approached the counter and felt like I was “seen.” The vibe was a feeling like I had been invited over to a familar stranger’s place to relax and just be. Nothing forced, nothing fake, and nothing artificial. As I enjoyed my delicious cup of coffee I observed that just about every single customer that walked in was greeted by name and even one was greeted by his last name: “Mister” so and so. Wow.

A place such as this, is what humanity craves. A place where the perfect environment is created that can help man to reset his interior life in such a way that he can begin to “see again.” This place for me is more than good coffee. The coffee is an excuse to be able to become whole again by unplugging and just being home, in somebody else’s home where hospitality, quiet, and good vibes reign supreme and in a beautiful place. I knew I wasn’t crazy in believing that a place like this should/could exist and I found...

I visited this coffee shop with my wife before an upcoming snowstorm, expecting a quiet and pleasant experience. Instead, we were both taken aback by what we witnessed.

The baristas were kind, but the manager (or owner) arrived wearing a keffiyeh and soon struck up a conversation with a group of high school-aged students. Without being asked, she began discussing her personal and political beliefs, explaining that she wears the keffiyeh because she is Christian and her husband is Muslim. She went on to share her perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and pointed out that the café now sells Palestinian books, artwork, and merchandise.

After looking at the café’s Instagram and the materials they promote, it’s clear that the owners are not simply expressing personal beliefs but actively pushing a one-sided political agenda. There is no room for nuance or recognition of the suffering on all sides. The conversation we witnessed, particularly when directed at young people, was not an invitation to thoughtful discussion but an imposition of a single narrative.

As someone raised in a religious, Jewish, and Zionistic household that values peace and understanding, I find this deeply troubling. There is no issue with businesses supporting causes they believe in, but when a café becomes a platform for divisive rhetoric—without acknowledgment of the complexity or the real harm such one-sided messaging can cause—it creates an exclusionary and uncomfortable atmosphere.

We will not be returning, and I would caution others who believe in respectful discourse and balanced perspectives to be aware of what this business stands for.

Update instead of opening up a line of dialect to address the concerns I brought up, they decided to get 10 of their friends to post on their page in an attempt to...

During these difficult times it's important to support our local businesses. In doing so I came across Queen City Coffee Roasters and wow, am I glad I did. This place is phenomenal. During my first (and only visit because of Covid), I told the manager that the coffee shop was amazing. He jokingly said, "We aren't just a coffee shop, we are a Roastery." Now if that isn't pride and passion in their craft, then I don't know what is. Apart from roasting delicious coffee from exotic places like Papua New Guinea, Ethiopia, and Colombia; Queen City Coffee Roasters have dedicated themselves to their customers and local community. They are committed to delivering online orders in a timely manner, going as far as safely delivering your orders to your home, taking all safety precautions. If that wasn't enough of a reason to support them, they began an initiative to support local first responders on the front-lines. For every box of coffee you donate to a local first responder (police, fire, ems, nurses, doctors, etc.) they will match your donation and then deliver the delicious coffee with a thank you to these front line heroes. So give them a chance, call or make an online order and help a local business and or first responder. Now I'm going to go and enjoy my new...