New business inside Lincoln Mall is first of its kind in Freeport
A California couple held a grand opening of their new business at the Lincoln Mall last week.
Our Journeys Cafe and Boba Shop is a new cafe and store offering snacks, smoothies, and, of course, boba.
Boba is a drink that’s also a snack, according to owners Lisa and Russ Nygaard. Boba is a milk tea with fresh boba pearls or popping boba that you can chew while drinking and provide a burst of extra flavor.
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It’s the first and only boba store in Freeport, and the owners say it’s been a big success so far.
“We didn’t know if it was going to be big or not … turns out it’s been big,” Russ Nygaard said.
Boba shops are a big hit around the country, especially in California where the Nygaards are from.
“Every town has 3 or 4 boba shops, but there’s none here,” Nygaard said.
The Nygaard's moved to Freeport last fall from El Dorado Hills, California. The couple looked around the country for a new place to raise their family but ultimately settled on Freeport because Russ was raised in the Chicago suburbs and Lisa has family in Freeport.
In California, people give themselves extra time for traffic, but here the couple said they have to do the same thing in town because everyone wants to chat.
“Freeport has welcomed us,” Russ Nygaard said. “Instead of being face down, people look up and talk to each other here.”
Not only has the Freeport community enjoyed the new business and the family, but the couple said the other shop owners at the Lincoln Mall have also welcomed them with open arms.
“The mall has been coming back to life over the last few years,” Nygaard said. “The other folks in the mall say it’s been interesting because people open stores here and they stay which they haven’t seen in a while.”
The other stores in the Lincoln Mall attract all different age groups which gives Journeys a perfect customer base, according to the couple. It’s also how they found the perfect place to open their business.
When Lisa would visit the mall, she’d look over at the empty storefront and think “Hmm … maybe we should try it.”
From there, Journeys opened faster than expected so they could open during a large Book Nook sale to show off their new space and offerings.
“It was busy right off the bat, so we learned a lot,” Nygaard said. “We worked really hard to make it quicker and better.”
To accommodate the booming business, Journeys extended their hours to 7 p.m. Tuesday and will open on Sunday afternoons. For the summer, the shop will serve Hawaiian shaved ice.
Our Journeys Cafe and Boba Shop is located in the Lincoln Mall and open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Jena Kleindl is a freelance correspondent.
This article originally appeared on Journal Standard: Our Journeys Cafe and Boba Shop opens at Freeport's Lincoln Mall
