My Half of the Sky coffee shop opens in Wheaton

WHEATON – My Half of the Sky coffee shop owner Renee Pollino wants to do more than satisfy someone's hunger with a pastry or empanada.

She hopes her coffee shop and retail store, which opened in April in an 1800s house at 121 W. Wesley St. in downtown Wheaton, has both a local and global impact. Purchases help those facing such challenges as extreme poverty, human trafficking and addiction.

My Half of the Sky is a social enterprise, a business that serves a social purpose.

"We're using business as a means to provide jobs and development," she said. "Our goal is to show that the marketplace can be used to create sustainability."

The store is an outgrowth of her desire to help others who might need a helping hand.

"I've worked with at-risk students and at-risk families," said the West Chicago resident, who attended Wheaton schools growing up. "I've lived in the Middle East. I've spent time with people in severe poverty in Africa and Haiti. There's this common theme that people need jobs. It doesn't matter if I was in Africa or Haiti or if I was dealing with inner-city families."

The nonprofit My Half Kitchen, which is a separate entity from the coffee shop, employs area women overcoming human trafficking, addictions and life as a refugee. The coffee shop purchases all of the baked goods and salads from the kitchen.

That includes homemade empanadas, cinnamon rolls with buttercream frosting and lemon ginger scones. The empanadas, which are a type of pastry filled with a sweet or savory filling, have proven to be popular, Pollino said.

"People come in and cannot believe we have empanadas," she said.

Volunteers, including Pollino's mother, Olga, who is from Puerto Rico, work alongside the employees at My Half Kitchen. Pollino's family grew up making empanadas.

Pollino said she desires to connect women with other women who are in need in the community.

"What we're trying to establish is a relationship where we're colleagues and we're all working alongside each other," Pollino said. "They can see that they have significance, they have value, they have dignity. They have just as much worth as the person alongside them. What we're really trying to do is to create a space where we can just learn from each other. That's why we have volunteers in the kitchen."

My Half of the Sky coffee house also serves different varieties of coffee, teas and smoothies.

"Our roaster is a Seattle-based roaster," she said. "They have been in business for more than 20 years. They're leaders in the industry. They have a very different style to roasting. Their roasting style is very European, very traditional. Their coffee beans are roasted not extremely dark, so you get a more caramel and a smoother, more European-style to coffee."

The store also sells other products, such as candles made by teen moms in Chicago and jewelry made by homeless people in Los Angeles. Pollino sees the good that making the right purchases can do.

"We can really help people by what we purchase," Pollino said. "We can be really smart about it, and responsible. We're just trying to give opportunities to those who usually don't have opportunities."

My Half of the Sky also bills itself as a "think space." Rooms can be rented out as work spaces, and an event room also is available for rental.

Future plans include opening another coffee shop.

"We plan to open more coffee shops," she said. "Our goal would be to get investors or get people who want to franchise with us and open up another coffee shop."

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If you go

What: My Half of the Sky coffee shop

Where: 121 W. Wesley St., Wheaton

Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Wednsday and Thursday, 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, closed Sunday

Info: myhalfofthesky.org