Hidden Gem: Limestone Coffee and Tea in Batavia

Limestone Coffee and Tea owner Maureen Mares doesn’t work relentlessly at her Batavia shop for just any reason.

Mares has plans to hand the shop over to her 33-year-old daughter, Kendall Ertz. But before Mares can do that, she wants to assure that the nearly two-year-old shop is a mainstay in the community.

Limestone Coffee & Tea owner Maureen Mares makes a Limestone Mocha at the business in Batavia on Wednesday, July 22. STAFF PHOTOS BY MARK BUSCH

“I would very much like to hand this off to her,” Mares says of her daughter, who is general manager of the shop and “does 99 percent of the baking and cooking.”

The mother-daughter team have always wanted to go into business together, and with Ertz’s background as a barista, opening a corner coffee shop to call their own seemed like an ideal option.

“We wanted a place where people could go and drink coffee and relax ... and not have to make a quick in-and-out trip,” Mares says.

Limestone Coffee and Tea’s 20th-century building has a contemporary look, while still flaunting its original hardwood floors and ceiling. The coffee shop’s community room provides privacy for group meetings and individuals looking to read.

A variety of coffee, tea and espresso options are inscribed on a chalkboard at the register, as homemade dishes, including apple pie, muffins and six different kinds of quiches, sit in glass cases waiting to be eaten.

“They like our coffee,” Mares says of her customers. “They tell me that they’re tired of the corporate (coffee) look and taste.”

Customer Paul Kelly of Batavia says Limestone’s calming atmosphere makes the shop stand apart from the rest.

“I like that it’s a local feel and that it’s right downtown,” he says. “When I think of sitting down, relaxing and drinking coffee, I think about this place.”

A Limestone Mocha at Limestone Coffee & Tea in Batavia.

Limestone Coffee and Tea
WHERE 15 E. Wilson St., Batavia
PHONE (630) 761-2966
WEB www.limestonecoffeetea.com
WHY YOU SHOULD GO At Limestone Coffee and Tea, there’s no pressure to leave once you’ve finished your beverage. The owner wants her customers to feel relaxed at the quaint, corner coffee shop. 
CLAIM TO FAME From its Very Berry Herbal Tea to the Malted Mocha Blended Espresso, Limestone Coffee and Tea offers a variety of beverages to suit taste buds. Desserts and other dishes are also made fresh daily.