Silver Cross’ Café 1900 a Haven for Those Who Need a Pick-Me-Up, or a BLT

For many of us, life begins after our first cup of coffee! 

At Silver Cross Hospital’s Café 1900, a team of talented, friendly baristas serve up coffee, tea, sandwiches, snacks and more seven days a week, and they do it with a smile, making everyone’s start to the day – or evening – a whole lot better! 

Café 1900 is open from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays, and from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays and is popular with employees, medical staff members, volunteers, patients and visitors alike. 

Brad Davis, Silver Cross’ Food Service Operations Manager, said Café 1900 (as in, 1900 Silver Cross Blvd.) has been a hot spot from the very beginning, when the new hospital opened in New Lenox 12 years ago. 

“In fact, for a while, it was the only place to get refreshments until the cafeteria opened several weeks later,” he said. 

Now, the shop across from the main lobby desk fills a void when the cafeteria is closed, or when people need a quick meal and beverage. 

Made with Love

Café 1900 offers a variety of grab-n-go choices, such as pre-made salads and sandwiches, as well as made-to-order sandwiches, such as the very popular BLT. 

“I think it’s because we make them with love,” said barista Makayla Martinez, one of 10 working in the café at various times. “People really do like them.” 

Although the café offers Starbucks brand coffees, Davis said, it is not a franchise, so the shop doesn’t accept payment through the Starbucks app. 

But if you’re hankering for a Caramel Macchiato or a White Chocolate Mocha, barista Claudia Cisneros said those are the most popular. 

“And we have regular black coffee, too,” Cisneros said. “Sometimes, a nurse will come down from the floor and just need some caffeine. 

The talented baristas make a wide array of delicious drinks and know many people’s orders from memory. 

“I like to work the morning,” she said. “You get to know the orders. I may not know their name, but I know them by their drinks!” 

Cisneros got the job three years ago, in part because she wanted to get into a medical atmosphere that would help prepare her for a future as an ultrasound tech. 

“Doctors and nurses have been really helpful, telling me what courses I’ll need to take and how to prepare. They even helped me to get a scholarship through the hospital that will pay my tuition when I enter the radiology program at Joliet Junior College,” she said. “No one in my family has had a scholarship, or been to college. This was so nice.” 

Martinez said she, too, applied for and received a two-year scholarship through the hospital, which helped greatly working toward her degree in social work at Lewis University. 

She started the job a little over two years ago at the suggestion of her friend and now fellow barista, Neida Tobias. 

“It was a lot to remember at first because I’m not a coffee drinker,” Martinez said. “But once I got it, I know it like the back of my hand.” 

And since she covers opening shift at times, Martinez has sampled some of the flavored coffees to get a caffeine boost early in the mornings. “But never just black,” she said. “I can’t do that!” 

First, a Customer

Tobias said she knew of Café 1900 from regular visits when her grandma was hospitalized at Silver Cross. She thought it would dovetail nicely with her afternoon classes at Governors State University, where she is studying speech pathology. 

“I like working early mornings,” she said. “We get pretty busy. Everyone has their own favorite drinks and snacks, like the turkey provolone sandwiches and granola bars.” 

Tobias said she can often tell when a customer’s having a tough day and hopes by offering tasty refreshments with a smile, it lifts their mood. 

“I try to bring happiness to people who may be at Silver Cross for a sad reason,” she said. 

Cisneros said the job can be tough at times, especially when the line is out the door of the small café. Baristas have to rely on solid training and good memory of drink recipes in those times. 

Latrice Johnson, a five-year Café 1900 veteran, enjoys her role and the happiness it brings to others. 

“It was supposed to be just a short-time thing,” she said. “But I liked the work, the managers, my fellow employees.” 

As long-timers, she and Cisneros fill in for supervisors when needed, and they also work in the main cafeteria. 

Friendly Smiles

Cisneros has worked nearly every shift in the café; Johnson has worked them all. 

“I’ve learned to be more compassionate,” Johnson said. “Sometimes you know when people are hurting.” 

A smile, a kind word and a good cup of coffee can go a long way. 

“You never know what you say or do that will make someone’s day a little better,” she added. 

For more information, visit silvercross.org