Brew Coffee Lab

Brew Coffee Lab
137 N Northwest Highway in Park Ridge

“That was actually it,” Japhlet Arañas says. “I was just sick of drinking bad coffee.”

What began as a search for a better cup eventually became a growing local business. After operating different café concepts in Des Plaines (where he still has a pop-up business in the train station), Japhlet has brought Brew Coffee Lab’s creative menu and community-centered atmosphere to Park Ridge.

A big focus for Japhlet was the desire for Brew Coffee Lab, and its menu, to reflect his Filipino heritage. His family’s involvement gives the café a personal quality, and although the business has expanded, it continues to operate with the hands-on approach of a neighborhood shop, and Arañas remains closely involved with the menu and the daily experience at both locations.

Thus far, Brew Coffee Lab has received an enthusiastic response from the community, and the environment is a blend of cozy, eclectic, and homey, with multiple seating options, polaroids of customers, and thoughtfully chosen decor.

“It’s nice seeing people enjoy the space and the food and the drinks,” Japhlet says. “You look at the things on the menu and think, ‘Wow, I made this.’ It’s really nice.”

His recommendation for first-time visitors? The ube latte, his signature drink that he’s spent five years perfecting.

— Claire Scannell

Bare Studio
124 S. Prospect Ave. in Park Ridge
BareStudioEsthetics.com

After seven years in the esthetics industry, Emilie Schmidt knew she wanted to create a space of her own where she could focus on the services she’s most passionate about and give clients a more personal, one-on-one experience.

“Opening Bare Studio in Park Ridge after years of working in Chicago is especially meaningful because I love being part of this community and wanted to build something local that people could feel comfortable coming back to,” she tells us. “My goal was to create a welcoming, judgment-free studio where clients can feel confident and cared for.”

Bare Studio’s specialty is sugaring, which is a gentler alternative to traditional waxing with less irritation.

Bare Studio’s specialty is sugaring, which is a gentler alternative to traditional waxing that uses an all-natural sugar paste to remove unwanted hair just as effectively and with less irritation, while also lightly exfoliating the skin.

“Over the years, so many of my clients have told me they notice much less irritation, fewer ingrown hairs, and hair that grows back softer and finer with consistent sugaring,” Emilie says. “It’s really about getting those smooth results, making it last, and all the while being a little kinder to your skin.”

— Trent Modglin

IV Nutrition Park Ridge
813 Devon Ave. in Park Ridge
IVNutrition.com

Having opened in South Park in mid-September, IV Nutrition is a comfortable, approachable wellness clinic focused on helping people be more proactive about their health, offering personalized IV nutrient therapy, vitamin injections, wellness testing, functional health services, and peptide wellness consultations, with the goal of helping clients better understand their individual wellness needs and choose services that align with their goals.

We want IV Nutrition to feel comfortable, welcoming, and genuinely enjoyable — a place where you can take a little time for yourself and invest in your health — while still having a strong clinical foundation behind everything we do.” — Abbie Ruvo

“What I’m most excited about is creating a space that feels different from both a traditional doctor’s office and the typical med spa experience where people may have encountered IV therapy before,” franchise owner and Park Ridge resident Abbie Ruvo tells us. “We want IV Nutrition to feel comfortable, welcoming, and genuinely enjoyable — a place where you can take a little time for yourself and invest in your health — while still having a strong clinical foundation behind everything we do. Our goal is for clients to feel both relaxed and confident that their wellness plans are thoughtfully developed around their individual health, goals, science, and biology, not simply a menu of trendy treatments.”

Bonus: Abbie and her team are building IV Nutrition around the reality of busy modern life, offering mobile IV services to bring wellness directly to your home, workplace, or special event.

— Trent Modglin

Mandram

116 Main Street in Park Ridge

ThalaivasIndianKitchen.com

Wondering what’s happening to the old Thalaiva’s Indian Kitchen space on Main Street now that they’ve settled in nicely to their new location around the corner on Prospect Avenue? During a recent lunch with the owners, we were filled in on the plans for Mandram, which opened in late September and means “a place where people gather.”

Operated by the owners of the popular Thalaiva’s, you can expect an assortment of small sandwiches and kati rolls (a type Indian wrap with butter chicken or chicken tikka masala inside), as well as customized fresh juices blended in front of you and milkshakes made of dried fruit and nuts.

— Trent Modglin

HOTWORX
652 N. Northwest Hwy, Suite B in Park Ridge
Hotworx.net

If you’re looking for an innovative new workout routine, HOTWORX is an infrared sauna fitness studio led by virtual instructors. They offer more than a dozen different workouts, including both HIIT and Isometric training, and 24-hour access to the facility.

Most people are surprised at the incredible workout they can get in just 15-30 minutes. It’s is a unique, efficient, and effective way to fit fitness into a busy schedule.”

“Most people are surprised at the incredible workout they can get in just 15-30 minutes,” says general manager Nicole Paus. “HOTWORX is a unique, efficient, and effective way to fit fitness into a busy schedule, and we’re excited to introduce it to more people in the community.”

— Trent Modglin

Hello Holly

7 S. Prospect Avenue in Park Ridge

After running the Hallmark shop in Uptown for more than 30 years, Holly Stricker decided to retire. However, as she puts it, “I got bored of being retired. I missed working!”

So she chose to open Hello Holly just a few doors down the street from her old spot because, as she explains, she knows the people, she knows the area, and she knows what to expect from her customers, many of whom have already become repeat buyers.

A few hot items on the shelves right now are their stationary, craft kits, activity books, jewelry, Natural Life products and, of course, squishies for the kids. Keep an eye out for all the fun fall and Halloween items too.

— Claire Scannell