There’s buzz about Blackberry Market 

In 2012, Anna Davidson launched Blackberry Market in downtown Glen Ellyn with a simple mission: combine elevated, fresh food in a welcoming space dedicated to fostering genuine community connections. 

Fourteen years later, Davidson has expanded her mission into Oak Park, opening the cafe’s fifth location this one in the village’s Arts District. The goal remains: delivering a signature focus on community to a village which prides itself on neighborly camaraderie.  

Located at 905 S. Lombard Ave., Blackberry Market is breathing new life into a historic neighborhood storefront. The spot, which housed the iconic Buzz Cafe for nearly three decades before its 2023 closure, was followed by a brief stint as a Kribi Coffee location before the brand pulled out of the location last fall.  

Expanding on the chain’s success in Glen Ellyn, La Grange, Naperville and Oak Brook, Davidson said the deciding factor on launching a fifth location in Oak Park came down to the village’s warm energy and dedication to local business.  

“Oak Park is a vibrant, diverse community that supports local businesses,” she said. “I also loved the space that was available and the history of it being a cafe for so long. I love being in neighborhoods where folks can come in everyday and enjoy our coffee and food, connect with others and enjoy our space. This spot was perfect.” 

Disappointed in the loss of another cafe in the Arts District as Kribi pulled out from the building last year, local Realtor and former Buzz Cafe owner, Laura Maychruk, joined forces with her husband Andrew Maychruk and long-time Arts District landlord Mark Finger to repurchase the property.  

Immediately after, Maychruk began reaching out to businesses across Chicagoland she thought would be a good fit to set up shop in southeast Oak Park.  

“We were looking for a similar concept to Buzz Cafe, so Blackberry Market made the list,” she said. “All of us share the vision for the Arts District and also have the shared history of the revitalization of the district over the last 35 years. At this point, we want to make sure that the district stays on course to becoming a mecca for all of the arts, including the culinary arts.” 

One week after Maychruk emailed Davidson in January, the two met and the deal was sealed. In February, Blackberry Market signed a lease on the property, and the wheels started turning on breathing new life into revitalizing the cafe into Blackberry Market. 

With a soft opening last week, Blackberry Market officially hosted its grand opening on Tuesday — an all-day event featuring the cafe’s wholesale coffee partner, Intelligentsia, offering all guests free drip coffee. The cafe also hosted other giveaways as well.  

Maychruk says what she’s most excited about is the Arts District “having its gathering space back once again.”  

 “Anna and her team have created a beautiful, warm and very welcoming place filled with happy, helpful staff that will once again, make this space a magnet for friends and families to meet and enjoy good food and conversation,” she said.  

Along with its focus on community, Davidson says Blackberry Market is unique for its emphasis on being intentional about not only the coffee it brews, but the quality of the food served.  

“I do think it’s unusual to be so intentional about our coffee and our food — most spots focus on one,” she said. “We have a long history and a very talented team committed to both. We believe in hand crafting the best possible options for our guests to enjoy. We’re so proud of who we are and what we offer — we think Blackberry Market will speak for itself.” 

Daily operations at the new location will be overseen by Davidson’s nephew, Wilson Loibner, who comes to Oak Park with six years of Blackberry Market experience ranging from supervisor and front-house manager to assistant general manager and now general manager. 

“Blackberry Market does a great job having something to offer for everybody, no matter the day,” Loibner said. “This is true for our food, bakery and drinks, where we do our best to create options for people that are nut free, gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan and people that are not any of these above. You can get food with your friends and family, get food to go, just stop in for a tea, have a quiet moment with a coffee, get catering for an office breakfast or just stop in for a dessert. We work hard to accommodate people’s everyday needs and make no part of our menu an afterthought.”  

Oak Park residents eager to visit Blackberry Market include Katie Weaver, who enjoyed the cafe’s La Grange location, and Ann Bemiss, who is visiting the cafe for the first time.  

“It’s exciting to have something in this space — another option for lunch and somewhere to hang out for a little bit,” Weaver said. 

While Bemiss never visited Blackberry Market, she said she was eager to visit the new Oak Park spot after hearing positive reviews online. 

“I had read about Blackberry Market on Facebook, and reviews of the food and different things they have, and I was really impressed with the food,” she said. “Today, I ordered the Tuscan turkey sandwich — it was great.” 

Eager to get settled in Oak Park, Davidson is looking forward to connecting with returning and new patrons alike. 

“I love seeing old friends meet up, a casual date, a child and their parent — any human connection matters and that’s what we’re all about,” she said. “If we can foster more connections for our guests, then I call that success.”  

Blackberry Market is open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, including menus and catering options, visit blackberry.cafe.