Brewpoint Coffee is a woman- and AAPI-owned coffee company rooted right here in Elmhurst with a mission to create and empower authentic community spaces through coffee. Founded in 2014, Brewpoint has grown from a single cafe into a multi-location operation that includes Founders Cafe on West Park Avenue, Brewpoint Craft (a cocktails-and-charcuterie concept on North York Road), Lexicon Cafe inside the Elmhurst Public Library, and a wholesale roastery.
They roast their own beans and serve carefully crafted espresso drinks, pour-overs, and seasonal specialties alongside pastries and light bites. But what really sets Brewpoint apart is the deep commitment to community building. The cafes serve as hubs for local artists, small business pop-ups, entrepreneurial events, and neighborhood gatherings. It’s so much more than just a coffee shop.
Brewpoint has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, and Sprudge, and continues to be one of the most beloved spots in town.
Origin Story
Right out of college, Brewpoint’s founder landed a prestigious corporate job in downtown Chicago, but three years in, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t happy. After spending two months in the Philippines reconnecting with her Filipino heritage, a longtime dream of opening a coffee shop kept surfacing.
Back in Illinois, she was browsing Craigslist for an espresso machine when she stumbled upon a listing for an entire coffee shop, machine, equipment, and the lease to the space. With no business plan, no prior experience, and very little money, Brewpoint Founders Cafe opened in September 2014.
The second location, Lexicon Cafe at the Elmhurst Public Library, followed two years later. A roastery opened at the end of 2017. When traditional banks wouldn’t finance the third shop, a $76,000 SBA loan through Allies for Community Business made it possible. Each new space was designed not just as a coffee shop but as a community gathering point where strangers become neighbors.