The Big Shoulders Coffee Story.
The Back Story
At Big Shoulders Coffee, we stand for Fresh roasted, no-nonsense artisan coffee. Our coffee is born out of a love for learning about people, food, and culture. Founder Tim Coonan began as a chef working at some of the most prestigious restaurants in New York, France, Italy, and Chicago. His love affair with coffee goes back to the 1980’s when he went on origin trips and studied roasting techniques. What began as a hobby roasting beans in his garage evolved into Chicago’s premier roasting facility and Big Shoulders Coffee cafes.
Reasons to Believe in Big Shoulders Coffee
You can taste a chef’s attention to detail in every cup of Big Shoulders coffee. Beans are sourced from farmers we have grown relationships with and roasted specifically to preserve the integrity and essence of the coffee. We brew the coffee with down-to-the-second precision. You will taste the difference.
More than Coffee
Life is a thrilling, hectic, and sometimes exhausting adventure. That’s why Big Shoulders Coffee is designed as an ideal “third place.” Somewhere separate from home and work, where you can go for comfort and a chance to relax. Our locations are sanctuaries where you can enjoy the smells and tastes of our freshly roasted coffee in a welcoming environment.
A Culture that Mirrors Chicago
Hospitality is equally important at Big Shoulders Coffee. We truly value service, kindness and manners. Just like our fellow Chicagoans, we work hard without pretense. Our only goal is to bring you the best coffee possible in a welcoming atmosphere.
Proudly Woman Owned.
Meet the Founders.
Tim & Patricia Coonan
Patricia Coonan, Co-Founder & Owner
Patricia Coonan shares a heritage of over 30+ years in hospitality and the restaurant business with her fellow co-founder, Tim Coonan. Patricia met Tim at the legendary Chicago restaurant Spiaggia and together they forged a partnership in life and in business.
Prior to Big Shoulders Coffee, Patricia spent 12 years working as the CFO of LFP Restaurant Management, an affliliate of Levy Family Partners (LFP). LFP is an investment enterprise focusing on early stage, often food or restaurant, investments. (LFP was formed after the sale of Levy Restaurants, an international enterprise of restaurants and concessions at sports venues.)
Patricia’s unique background in both restaurant operations and business allowed her to thrive in this organization. During her tenure, LFP invested in Blaze Pizza, a fast casual pizza franchise. Her role included guiding the financial health of a 25+ multi-state franchise restaurant organization. She oversaw financial responsibilities to investors, franchisors and multi-state compliance entities.
The fast-paced business was a superb training ground for the challenges of running Big Shoulders multi-channel coffee businesses serving individuals, restaurants and retail customers. She delves into the details to make sure a wide range of buyers have appropriately priced products from the epicure of the high accolade 96-rated coffees to the bulk wholesale buyer of chug-worthy coffees.
Patricia and Tim combine their diverse talents to create a dynamic company poised for expansive growth while staying wholly committed to culinary coffee excellence.
Today, Tim is still teaching, learning and guiding a staff of roasters at Big Shoulders Coffee to create the next generation of incredible tasting roasts. As the acknowledged face of the company, Tim works closely with coffee farmers and importers to cultivate a diverse range of award winning coffees as well as interfacing daily with an entrepreneur’s drive to make sure every bag of beans and each customer is receiving the taste, quality and service he’s spent a lifetime to perfect.
What began as roasting coffee in his garage and building a business with his wife and business partner, Co-Founder Patricia Coonan, has evolved to the premier roasting facility in the City of Big Shoulders. Under Tim’s stewardship of the brand, the taste and the spirit of Big Shoulders Coffee, the trajectory for growth into new coffee products and markets is boundless.
Tim Coonan, Co-Founder
Tim Coonan’s 35+ years working in hospitality has taken him around the globe, training and working at some of the finest restaurants in the world. But in his heart, he’s a Midwesterner.
Born and raised on a farm in Indiana, Tim remembers the joy of growing up in a real farm-to-table environment. His love of flavors and cooking were discovered at the family table and from PBS chefs like Julia Child and Graham Kerr.
His apprenticeship began under the guidance of Stephen Quigley owner of White River Coffee in Indianapolis where he learned to appreciate coffee. At 22, he left coffee to pursue a career as a chef, working in the culinary capitals in France and Italy. He apprenticed in Avignon, France at the Michelin two-star restaurants Chez Messonier L’Ermitage and Le St. Didier as well as the notable Le Petit Bedon.
Tim headed back to the states, earning an AOS degree from Johnson & Wales University, He won a coveted internship at the Rainbow Room in New York City, where he continued his career after graduation. Completing his world culinary tour, Tim returned to the Midwest and became one of Chicago’s most accomplished culinary professionals. He began as a Sous Chef at Gordon, and then later became Chef-de-Cuisine at Spiaggia, widely considered one America’s premier Italian restaurants. In 2000, he began a long relationship with P.F. Chang’s as a partner and regional chef where he became a student of Asian culinary traditions. When Tim and his wife Patricia had a daughter, he began teaching at Washburne Culinary Institute.