John Dough Bakery Express Serves Morning Commuters

Walk into the Downers Grove Main Street train station during morning rush hour and you'll see commuters enjoying the cups of coffee that get their days started. But instead of having to pick up their morning joe from the nearby coffee shops, they can get it right at the station from John Dough Bakery Express.

An extension of the popular bakery in downtown Lisle, the kiosk serves an abbreviated menu of hot or iced coffees, lattes, teas, juices, and a variety of danish, doughnuts and pastries. The location serves as many as 200 customers by 9 a.m.

Lynn Horejs has been serving up coffee to her customers since the kiosk opened.

"Our customer service goes above and beyond what people expect," explains Horejs. "When we see our customers walk in, we already know their orders and have it ready when they get to the counter. We may not know them by name but we do know know by their order which they appreciate. We know that with all the competition in the area, if they don't have a good experienc, they won't come back."

Tom Kunklen, a regular morning commuter, relies on John Dough Express for his morning caffeine fix.

"The service is quick, easy and friendly" says Kunklen, "and you can't beat the convenient location."

According to Horejs, the key to success is having a system in place and planning ahead.

"I know that when I hear the announcement that the train is arriving in six minutes that the line is going to get longer and I have to move at an even faster pace," said Horejs. "And when I close at 9:00 a.m., I do as much prep work as I possibly can for the next day so my co-worker isn't rushed."

So how did Lisle-based bakery end up in the Downers Grove station?

"The Village of Downers Grove owns the property where the station is located and they actually contacted us and asked if we'd be interested in setting up shop," said John Zydowicz, head chef at John Dough. "They provided us with the kiosk counter area and we did the rest. We are very happy with its success and hope some day we can open additional train station locations along the line, especially the Belmont Downers Grove station when all the construction is done." 

In addition to just getting their morning coffee,  customers can order special order just about anything from the Lisle John Dough Bakery menu and pick it up at the train station. This can especially be convenient around the holidays when people are having office parties and need to bring in treats.

John Dough Bakery continues to grow and expand. According to Zydowicz, the bakery recently received the contract to run the concession stand at Naperville's Southpoint Swim Club for the summer 2011 season.

Finally, ice cream lovers can rejoice. In the next few weeks, Johm Dough Bakery will begin offering gourmet soft-serve ice cream.

"We are very excited about adding ice cream to our line-up," says Zydowicz. "Nobody in town is doing soft serve and our customers will have the option to mix in any of our baked goods. With cupcakes, cookies and pastries the possibilities are endless."