SOUTHERN ILLINOIS, IL-(Effingham Radio)- On International Coffee Day – October 1, 2022 – ILLINOISouth Tourism is launching a coffee trail to promote independent coffee shops in their 21-county region.
The ILLINOISouth Tourism Coffee Trail features 28 independent shops throughout southern Illinois. Participants can receive discounted items at each shop, and if they visit five shops, they will be entered into a raffle of merchandise from the businesses on the trail. The trail will run from October 1st until the end of the year to give participants enough time to fully explore all that the ILLINOISouth region has to offer.
“Our goal is to encourage people to support more locally. There are so many independent coffee shops in our region that offer unique experiences, whether its specialty menu items or the atmosphere,” explains Emily Titsworth, content creator at ILLINOISouth. “We really hope that people will explore our region and make new connections over something people love: coffee.”
Participants can keep track of their progress one of two ways: through the ILLINOISouth app or with a passport book that is available for pick up at any of the participating locations. The app makes it easy to check into each location, and can even map out the route to take folks to their next stop.
“As someone who grew up in the Metro East and moved away and lived in the city of St. Louis, I’ve participated in a lot of these passport programs in the past, and it’s such a great way to get to know different communities, different neighborhoods,” says Liz Welzbacher, proprietor at June’s Breakfast + Patio in Shiloh. “I’m really excited for this coffee passport program to open up peoples’ eyes to the different communities, and there’s no better way to get to know a community than to show up at a coffee shop on a Saturday or Sunday morning.”
The participating businesses are:
- 6:10 Coffee Company in Salem
- Around the Corner Coffee Company in Maeystown
- The Bold Goat Coffee Company in Fairfield
- Café on the Abbey in Columbia
- Casey Coffee Company in Casey
- Colyer Coffee House in Albion
- Common Grounds Coffee Lounge in Flora
- Cornerstone Coffee House in Norris City
- Flo’s Coffee Bar in Newton
- Fusion Coffee in Fairfield
- GypsyQueen Coffee Bar in Marshall
- June’s Breakfast + Patio in Shiloh
- Latte Dough Coffee Shop in Marshall
- Melinda’s Coffee and Bistro in Centralia
- Milk & Honey Coffee and Tea in Mt. Carmel
- Off the Square Coffee Company in Red Bud
- Olde City Café and Bar in Breese
- Pour@322 in Belleville
- Press Coffee and Tea in Trenton
- RAIL Coffee Room in Centralia
- The Red Porch Café in New Baden
- Rosie’s Coffeehouse and Bakery in Centralia
- Shimoji Coffee in Greenville
- Shimoji Coffee in Vandalia
- St. Louis Coffee World in Mascoutah
- Sweet Katie Bee’s Cupcake & Coffee Bar in O’Fallon
- The Traveling Mug in Casey
- WhitLeigh’s Coffeehouse in Norris City
To learn more about the ILLINOISouth Tourism Coffee Trail, visit their website: https://www.illinoisouth.org/Dine/coffee-trail
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