The Record, Central Station collaborate to put local news in your hands

It’s time you got a hold of your local news.

That was the thought when The Record North Shore joined forces with Central Station Coffee & Tea to produce The Record North Shore express, a monthly coffee-shop edition of the nonprofit newsroom’s reporting.

The inaugural issue of Express debuted Thursday, Nov. 14, at Central Station’s shop, 1150 Central Ave., Wilmette, and its Wilmette Metra station location, 722 Green Bay Road.

“I love print. Who doesn’t love print,” said Joe Coughlin, editor in chief of The Record. “It’s functional, it’s charming, it’s attractive; it’s just not economical. So when we created a way to reach the community with the support of the community, it was too good to pass up. We’re excited to see where Express can go.”

Express is the brainchild of Ryan Osborn, The Record’s director of development, and Katie Degen, owner of Central Station, who were discussing community-centered ways to collaborate.

The idea then received support from local sponsors, such as the Polk Bros. Foundation and Northern Trust bank, enabling the launch of a four-page, coffee-shop edition this week, complete with local news, community stories and sports stories.

“The Record is our only source of true local news. It’s such a vital part of building community awareness,” Degen said, “and my hope is that having a real, tangible paper back in the hands of our community members will help foster a connection or perhaps new engagement of residents in the life of Wilmette.

“Plus, there’s nothing I love more than sitting with a great cup of coffee and turning the pages of the news.”

Future distribution of Express will depend on its reception in the community, Coughlin said, but look for a second issue in mid-December.

The Record is a nonprofit, independent newsroom that launched in 2020 and believes that responsible, public-service local news is vital to a community’s wellbeing. The Record’s reporting is free for all to read and is powered by the support of readers.

Central Station Coffee & Tea debuted in 2021 and offers a variety of coffees, espressos and teas, as well as food, in downtown Wilmette. Central Station is active in community programming, regularly welcoming local organizations (Go Green Wilmette, Wilmette Fire Department, etc.), displaying local artwork and even hosting game nights.

The Record is a nonprofit, nonpartisan community newsroom that relies on reader support to fuel its independent local journalism.

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