The Heartland Cafe!

Hello all you wonderful folks of Chainlink!

 

Just wanted to ask for your assistance and awareness regarding the Heartland Cafe's struggles.  It seems that they have dug themselves into a financial hole and need their patrons to help them out.  I am sharing this because the owner is a dear friend of my family.  Mike James and my father were close friends and grew up together back in Westport, CT.  Though they took very different paths in life, it was ironic that they both fell in love with the Midwest and the Chicagoland area.  So, Heartland has become a favorite of mine over the years with memories of Mike and my Father telling stories from their boyhood...

 

Please be aware that they are struggling and without the help of neighbors they could be forced to close their doors forever.  Feel free to share ideas, group meet ups, or even schedule a ride event that focuses on bringing a little business to their door. 

 

I was thinking possibly having a meet up (maybe a short ride as well?) Wednesday, Oct. 13th.  We could just do a bar night or dinner meet up....please feel free to share some ideas!

 

Attached is a link for Heartland's website that explains some of the details.  There is also postings in Tribune, Sun Times, and the Reader regarding the circumstances and ways to help. 

 

http://www.heartlandcafe.com/

 

Thanks for taking a moment to read this and hope you can find it in your heart to help a long standing business that is very community driven. 

 

Also, feel free to contact me if you want to coordinate a special event, or an already scheduled ride that you would like to include the Heartland on.  I would be more then willing to get in contact with Mike and let them know your coming!

 

Thanks again, PJ



 

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on October 8, 2010 at 8:57am
PC- Thanks for letting us know. I love Heartland! We can definitely plan a Bar Night there in the near future.
Permalink Reply by pjc jr on October 8, 2010 at 9:04am
Cool, let me know if you need any assistance in notifying them. They have created drink specials for previous (FBC) rides for us before! Course that is a little self-defeating for them to increase their profits?
Permalink Reply by KatieP on October 8, 2010 at 9:17am
Donation sent - I love the Heartland!
Permalink Reply by Hector on October 8, 2010 at 9:28am
I love this place and so close to work for me.
I'm definitely a patron of the Heartland. I love their nachos with buffalo chili.
Let's give them some more business folks.
Permalink Reply by Mike Zumwalt on October 8, 2010 at 5:16pm
It's still nice out so I could take ride up. I've always wanted to check that place out.
The whole Morse ave. area is like a small town with the red line right next to it.
Permalink Reply by jonathan on October 9, 2010 at 3:50am
count me out!I sort of remember Micheal James ripping off an my organization on a fund raiser. He is a big booster of alderman Joe Moore . Joe votes 90 % of the time with Da Mayor . Check out Jorvasky's articles on TIFs in the Reader. I to wouldn't call that real liberal or community as the the whole aura The Heartland has tried to sell all these years I've been in rogers park.
Permalink Reply by Spencer "Thunderball" Thayer! on October 9, 2010 at 3:55am
I like that place. Bar night is good.
Permalink Reply by Joza 7 miles on October 9, 2010 at 12:09pm
I hate to say this but lots of restaurants go under. I used to live dead east of the Heartland the food was so so and the service on the whole was bad. My wife and I went because at the time they were one of the only places around. I feel sorry for the owners and all the customers who might miss it if it goes under but the market tends to win. Maybe there are not that many hippies left.
Permalink Reply by Duppie on October 9, 2010 at 1:00pm
Maybe they would survive if they improved the food (which is OK at best), service (hit or miss) and their cleanliness (gross does not start to describe it. We once saw a food prep worker making a salad, stopping to adjust her hair and then continue to prep the salad without washing her hands)
It's nice to have a community oriented place, but that doesn't mean I put with that stuff.

Disclaimer: the food prep incident happened maybe five years ago. Haven't been back since. Maybe things have changed for the better
Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on October 10, 2010 at 11:03am
I heard they are having a fundraiser tomorrow, Monday. Anyone have details?
Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on October 11, 2010 at 5:15am
I used to be a Heartland fan, but too many experiences with poor service and hit-or-miss food quality have changed that. I know plenty of other people with similar tales. Last year's closure due to major sanitation issues didn't help.

If I'm in RP now looking for menu items similar to what Heartland offers, I'd rather go to Uncommon Ground on Devon or continue north to Blind Faith in Evanston.

I wish that Michael and Katy could run their business better. Then they'd probably have a lot more customers and a better financial situation.

Duppie said:
Maybe they would survive if they improved the food (which is OK at best), service (hit or miss) and their cleanliness (gross does not start to describe it. We once saw a food prep worker making a salad, stopping to adjust her hair and then continue to prep the salad without washing her hands)
It's nice to have a community oriented place, but that doesn't mean I put with that stuff.

Disclaimer: the food prep incident happened maybe five years ago. Haven't been back since. Maybe things have changed for the better
Permalink Reply by pjc jr on October 11, 2010 at 8:07am
Julie, yes they are having one tonight and tomorrow night!

http://www.heartlandcafe.com/




Julie Hochstadter said:
I heard they are having a fundraiser tomorrow, Monday. Anyone have details?

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