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Berwyn, IL —
Husband and wife John and Christine Tully Aranza have the place, motivation and the best intentions to put their project idea into fruition. The Oak Park couple is opening a restaurant in Berwyn. Autre Monde Cafe & Spirits will be located along Roosevelt Road, next door to John Aranza’s sci-fi movie memorabilia store Horrorbles and will be the city’s first green-certified restaurant. But in order for their idea to grow to its full potential, which includes a book and blog about the green restaurant experience and the building of a greenhouse supplying vegetables and herbs served at the restaurant, some green is needed, meaning funds. Through Kickstarter.com, the couple is hoping to raise $5,000 toward the project by Nov. 28, with incentives offered to supporters. Even if they don’t meet their goal, John Aranza says, the restaurant will still open in February as planned.
What is the aim of this project?
John: We always said that if we were going to do a project, we would develop a restaurant focused on healthy, local food with a farm to fork concept. The restaurant would celebrate slow food. Christine and I both have former experience with restaurants because we used to work at Spiaggia Restaurant in Chicago. … Autre Monde Cafe & Spirits will be located on Roosevelt Road in Berwyn, and we’re bringing in two consulting chefs from Spiaggia. We’re hoping to make this the first green certified restaurant in Berwyn. … It’s going to be an urban kind of feel. The food is going to be like an European-style bistro. The menu will be structured in a way for people to have a nibble.
Other than the greenhouse supplying fresh vegetables, herbs and fruit, what else makes this restaurant green certified?
Christine: (We’ll have) a system that converts vegetable oil to biodiesel and cleaning products. … Our menu products will be sourced from local, organic and sustainable purveyors, and suppliers are selected based on their green criteria. The focus of the restaurant is to purchase locally when appropriate, and in the case of items like seafood, to select options that are sustainable — not endangered or otherwise compromised. (We’ll have) this, along with our design, which makes use of energy efficiency, re-purposed materials, recycling and planting an ivy green wall on the exterior east wall to keep the building cool.
Why use Kickstarter.com?
Christine: We absolutely loved the idea of Kickstarter; it is so empowering and really fuels creative projects that may not qualify for traditional financing. Think about it: If 100 people supported our project and were able to give $50, we would be at our goal. In return, they would receive both the knowledge they have helped build something great and some fun rewards for assisting as well.
Husband and wife John and Christine Tully Aranza have the place, motivation and the best intentions to put their project idea into fruition. The Oak Park couple is opening a restaurant in Berwyn. Autre Monde Cafe & Spirits will be located along Roosevelt Road, next door to John Aranza’s sci-fi movie memorabilia store Horrorbles and will be the city’s first green-certified restaurant. But in order for their idea to grow to its full potential, which includes a book and blog about the green restaurant experience and the building of a greenhouse supplying vegetables and herbs served at the restaurant, some green is needed, meaning funds. Through Kickstarter.com, the couple is hoping to raise $5,000 toward the project by Nov. 28, with incentives offered to supporters. Even if they don’t meet their goal, John Aranza says, the restaurant will still open in February as planned.
What is the aim of this project?
John: We always said that if we were going to do a project, we would develop a restaurant focused on healthy, local food with a farm to fork concept. The restaurant would celebrate slow food. Christine and I both have former experience with restaurants because we used to work at Spiaggia Restaurant in Chicago. … Autre Monde Cafe & Spirits will be located on Roosevelt Road in Berwyn, and we’re bringing in two consulting chefs from Spiaggia. We’re hoping to make this the first green certified restaurant in Berwyn. … It’s going to be an urban kind of feel. The food is going to be like an European-style bistro. The menu will be structured in a way for people to have a nibble.
Other than the greenhouse supplying fresh vegetables, herbs and fruit, what else makes this restaurant green certified?
Christine: (We’ll have) a system that converts vegetable oil to biodiesel and cleaning products. … Our menu products will be sourced from local, organic and sustainable purveyors, and suppliers are selected based on their green criteria. The focus of the restaurant is to purchase locally when appropriate, and in the case of items like seafood, to select options that are sustainable — not endangered or otherwise compromised. (We’ll have) this, along with our design, which makes use of energy efficiency, re-purposed materials, recycling and planting an ivy green wall on the exterior east wall to keep the building cool.
Why use Kickstarter.com?
Christine: We absolutely loved the idea of Kickstarter; it is so empowering and really fuels creative projects that may not qualify for traditional financing. Think about it: If 100 people supported our project and were able to give $50, we would be at our goal. In return, they would receive both the knowledge they have helped build something great and some fun rewards for assisting as well.
What happens if you don’t reach your $5,000 goal?
John: Everybody who pledged money will not be charged. With Kickstarter, if the funds aren’t raised within a specific time then no money is exchanged. But we’re offering those who pledge food and wine tastings and copies of the book that we are working on. … Just like the restaurant, we’re trying to create the feeling of community.
And what happens to the restaurant if funds aren’t raised? Without the funds, you won’t be able to build your greenhouse.
John: The restaurant will still happen. We’re set to open the restaurant in February.
Christine: The restaurant is fully funded to open and operate. We are raising the funds for the greenhouse as an additional project to assist us in building it and writing a cookbook/gardening book about what we learn in the process. The Kickstarter project is to provide this nice enhancement to our project but the central idea of the restaurant is intact either way. … If we don't raise the funds, we may postpone the greenhouse a bit or not write the accompanying book right away, but we will definitely do it at some point.
