Wm. Van's Cafe — Restaurant in Springfield

Review Date: May 12th, 2015

Since 2015, one thing has been haunting me since visiting. What does the ‘Wm’ stand for? Is it William? Wilma? Wild Mongrel? Wild Mocha?

Wm Van’s Coffee House is a quaint coffee house located in the heart of Illinois. Springfield oozes not only Illinois history but also national history. This coffee house is located near the Lincoln Home National Historical Site, which adds to the historic feel of the area. According to their website, it was reported that our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, loaned money to a gentleman named Isaac Lindsey to build the house that is now home to Wm Van’s. The city has a lot of history to it. Will Wm Van’s leave you with a memory that will last a lifetime?

In my humble opinion, it will. If my memory serves me well, this is the first time I visited a coffee house that was located in an actual house. This impressed upon me the joy of visiting future places that are in houses converted to businesses. They tend to be cozy, authentic, unique, and fun to visit. Wm Van’s is no exception.

Enough of the history lesson; how about my review? A friend and I stumbled in one afternoon while exploring Springfield. Parking is along the road, so finding a spot can be a bit of a hassle. It was a Tuesday, so parking was fairly simple thankfully. Access to the house was convenient from the sidewalk. Upon entering, the coziness sets in and you feel… at home.

My friend and I ordered our usual iced caramel lattes and they were delicious. Just the right balance of sweet and caffeine. (Why can’t these places offer free refills?!) They offer baked goods and my friend pointed out this massive brownie that looked tantalizing. We ended up forgetting to order it as we walked around the house, looking at the unique Abraham Lincoln photos hanging on the walls and marveling at the house converted to a coffee shop.

Speaking of baked goods, they also have a small food menu of breakfast and lunch items to choose from. Not only did we forget to order the succulent brownie, but we were mostly full from eating at Freddie’s for lunch. I can’t speak for how good the food is, but if it is anything like their coffee, you will be in for a treat.

If you visit on a perfect weather day, you can take your coffee and food and eat outside. There is an outdoor area in which you can enjoy filling your belly and soul with some history-defining coffee (and I am assuming food).

While the mystery of what ‘Wm’ means after all these years still eludes me, the memory of sipping coffee in a house that Abraham Lincoln funded will not. If you find yourself brushing up on your 16th President of the United States knowledge in Springfield, swing by and grab something to add to your own...

Okay. I never do this. However, I feel like I must mention my experience at Wm. Vans this morning. My husband and I ordered breakfast, a lotus drink and a cup of coffee. The breakfast came out in 10-15 minutes. This was great! However, we waited another 45 minutes for our drinks. My husband asked at one point when they would be done and they said there were 4 people in front of us. I went back up about 15 minutes after that and they said our drinks would be up shortly. We saw a few people that came in after us get their drinks. I went back up again and said that we ate breakfast long before and we are still waiting on our drinks. They said they were working as fast as they could. Didn’t recognize that a mistake was made, lost ticket, whatever. No apologies. Kept us in the queue. Eventually they made my drink but my husband no longer wanted his. The manager, I’m assuming, just stood at the bar and looked at us. No opportunities were made to make it right. Very disappointed with this establishment since I used to go the one on 7th street. Since I couldn’t talk to manager even if I wanted, I’m posting this to hope that they get it together, as I know that Vinegar Hill Mall is being redone and I want to see them succeed. The point is don’t forget simple customer service and find a better system to serve coffee AND food at...

The greatest heartbreak of my adult life? Wm. Vans leaving 6th Street. This is my formal petition to bring Vans home — because let’s be real: the Cook Street location just doesn’t hit. It lacks the charm, the heart, the soul of the real Vans we all grew up loving. The coffee? Half as good. My cappuccino was so watery I almost asked if they’d run out of espresso. Calling that a cappuccino is... bold. Call it a watered down latte. Any barista knows a real cappuccino is equal parts steamed milk, espresso, and milk foam. Bring back the real cappuccino.

But the real gut punch? They turned the original spot into a cidery. A CIDERY. As someone who doesn’t drink and prioritizes health, watching my beloved coffee shop morph into a late-night booze spot that is not family friendly, or even health-conscious-adult-friendly, felt like betrayal with a twist of lime.

And then they moved... to a gentrified part of town. It’s giving: rebrand no one asked for. Look, I’m not trying to slam Vans. I want to love it. But I can’t support decisions that leave behind the people and vibe that made Vans what it was. If I win the lottery, I’m buying back the old building and reopening it with the vegan chocolate chip cookie we all still mourn.

Signed, A heartbroken regular who just wants her old...