Our History

When Tom Jines started a modest coffee shop on the corner of Derrier and Vernier Streets in Bronzeville, Illinois, a handful of us recognized that a revolution was in the making. And few too knew that Mr. Jines had greater ambitions.

A New Style of Coffee

Born in Belgium, Tom Jines was raised in the gourmet coffee business before relocating to the US after the second world war. Unimpressed by just what the U.S. referred to as a cup of coffee, Mr. Jines started his first Bronzeville Coffee & Tea shop on July 30, 1970. His style of coffee differed from everything Americans had ever experienced before with his fresh beans, premium quality, and a rich coffee derived from a dark roast.

The Transformation Kicks off

By 1979, Bronzeville Coffee & Tea had come to be a gathering place for coffee aficionados, called Jinesmeisters, and a magnet for other unique food retailers.  The coffee revolution was starting to make headway. Tom Jines’ impact on the coffee sector kept on going as he soon gave rise to a brand-new generation of coffee business owners, which incidently includes the creators of Cafe Nero.

Over the past 30 years, Jines’ development has been sustained by the ever-increasing numbers of real coffee aficionados in the Bronzeville Area and also across the country. In spite of this expansion, we continue to be devoted to the same principle that influenced our founder– a relentless dedication to top quality.

From 1970, our objective has actually stayed the exact same: we always make every effort to raise the bar for the U.S. coffee industry, while always delivering a great tasting mug for those individuals that really adore coffee– those people for which real coffee can only be a mug of Jines’.