MILKCOW Cafe — Restaurant in Vernon Hills

Hi! For a lot of regulars that frequent this cafe, you may know me as the girl with the bangs that has been working most of the weekend shifts for the past couple years, maybe months if you have known me for less. I am here to warn you to NOT purchase from this cafe or continue to support it. I have finally quit this cafe after years of withstanding poor working conditions AND for multitude of other concerning reasons.

They have withheld my paychecks and tips, going as far as to steal $100+ from workers including myself. They pay under the table and have avoided taxes ever since this cafe has opened. The only other employees at this establishment currently are three highschool minors with two of them not trained and with one of them having worked solo shifts since he was a freshman. None of the employees have been food safety trained as the bosses have never required nor mentioned the employees receive one. They put me on weekend shifts alone countless different times no matter holidays or how busy it gets with zero designated bathroom or food breaks unless there is a gap in the customer flow. It is not just me that has experienced this, but COUNTLESS other employees over the years. I was earning $14 an hour as the HIGHEST earning employee for working 8 hour shifts alone, doing cashiering, making and prepping food, and opening/closing. The owners only care about profit and could not care less about employee input about sales or customers. They have also told us to throw away resumes as to only hire people that will not snitch on their illegal activities. There are SEVERAL other dessert places worth going to like Tous Les Jours, Coldstone, and more. Please...

One of the owners were very rude to me the last time I went and weren't very helpful with my questions. They leave this one girl on full shifts on the weekends every time I've gone with friends as well. Worker abuse seems very clear as I've seen them stop by but provide zero help and then leave shortly after. I felt so bad for her. Every time I do visit this establishment on the weekends and that one worker is there she's usually there for around eight hours working alone, confirmed when I asked her when she seemed busy. No establishments should be doing this and it's honestly very upsetting because she looks about 17-18. I hope she quits, and I suggest supporting somewhere that does have a safe environment for workers and doesn't serve overpriced items. I think I've seen one other boy working but he also seems very young and it's concerning how there seems to be so little workers yet so much to do around the cafe. There is also a big difference in item quantity and quality from when the bosses versus the employees are working. Owners are very stingy about portions and the items do not seem to have been made with care, especially...

It's actually troubling to find so few areas that are willing to make macarons.

Deerfield bakery has them, but I'd have to make a special trip. Lake Zurich has European bakeries, but unfortunately, no macaroon. The dessert I'm looking for is not the mass-made coconut shaving dipple that's widespread in any Asian buffet, but the delicate almond-flour crusted dessert that could easily be described as the fancy Oreo.

I had the opportunity of trying one a couple years back in Chicago's French market, but couldn't. I couldn't see myself paying $4.50 each for some. MILKCOW meets that happy medium and has additional flavors outside of sugar in there.

I'm not big on coffee, but this is literally the only place I can go for them unless I drop into the Costco rabbit hole or check aimlessly online. The macarons are delicate and just the right amount of sweetness to not be overwhelming yet crave something warm and neutral along with it. As you can expect, each of these macarons tasted differently.

I'll be back...