You open the door and you are hit with a strong aroma of coffee. The scent lures you in and before you know it you have a smile on your face and cup of coffee in your right hand.

The owners of Toast & Roast have been keeping their new coffee shop a mystery until it opened in the beginning of March. The location will be serving breakfast, sandwiches, coffee, salad, acai bowls, smoothies, and ice cream sundae throughout the day.

The owners were not originally going to choose McHenry until they saw all how much potential this area had.

“I like the managing staff,” said sophomore Charles Crockett. “They are very supportive and know how to teach newcomers.“

The people you choose to spend your time with can either make that time really pleasant or could make it really unpleasant.

“The connections I’ve made at my job have been amazing,” said sophomore Lena Curfman, “not every business has a team as great as them.”

“The mornings at Toast & Roast are very fast paced for the staff who work in the kitchen,” said Crockett.

“What they plan is a “Starbucks meets Chipotle meets a Baskin-Robbins” at the location, which was the Hidden Pearl Cafe until summer 2022,” said Shaw Local News Network.