Editor’s note: Open hours are Tuesday, December 26, through Saturday, December 30, 2023, from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
As a non-coffee drinker, it was a pleasant surprise to enjoy a soothing, rich, coffee fragrance in the air, as I approached “The Bread Lady at Donnybrook Corner.” The Grand Opening on Friday, December 15, was from 4:00-to-8:00 p.m. Inside the building, at 203 W. Main Street, Morrison, IL, the coffee aroma was mildly enveloping.
Owner Shelli Eng said, “Everyone has been amazing. I think that people forgot how beautiful [the building] was.”
Shown at left is Barista Sydney Cronin of Morrison; this is her “second time as a Barista. I love small businesses, and I’m excited to be involved,” she stated. Her hours are 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and her expertise is the 18 types of coffee for sale. She is News Director at KROS Radio 105.9 in Clinton, IA. Next are daughter Erica Eng with her parents and business owners, Shelli and Tom Eng from Erie, IL. Shelli said her daughter is her “every-day gal and pinch hitter.” As a multifaceted entrepreneur, “she will launch a make-up line for March. She’ll be here for awhile.” Tom Eng “got all the lights going.” Temporarily, he is helping deliver the many baked products his wife sells to other coffee shops and businesses.”
The annual Build a Tray Cookie Event was held in the new location, on Wednesday, December 20, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. For $15 shoppers chose a dozen from thousands of cookies Eng had baked, from “more than a dozen varieties.” There were “almost 1200 Santa faces; thousands of Peanut Butter Balls; hundreds of gingerbread boys.” Some of the other options were Fudge; Mexican Wedding Cookies; Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup in peanut butter cookie dough; giant Pretzels Sticks dipped in chocolate with peppermint icing. She personally placed the customers’ cookies in a plastic tray, and her husband snapped on the lid.
Erica helped, and Sydney helped with coffee–which was purchased for on-the-spot enjoyment.
“Was there a good number of participants?” asked the Editor.
“Oh, my God, yes, a lot! There was a steady stream, even past 8:00. People called and asked me to build trays for pickup the next day.”
With the transfer of her traditional, holiday event to the new building, The Bread Lady at Donnybrook Corner is officially open for delicious business.