T This is a story about a “Girl and a Guy”. The girl, Debra met this amazing guy, Greg, who just happened to have an available rental space that would be the perfect location for a coffee/wine bar. For many years, Debra had dreams of opening up a coffee shop and wine bar that served delicious homemade pastries using only the freshest ingredients and so Christine Marie’s Sweet Vine was born.
Debra, a resident of the area, lived in Crete and grew up attending St. Liborius Church in Steger with her family. Now she has a family of her own and has been blessed with two amazing children, Alex and Danielle, whom she enjoys spending time with.
Debra has been a small business owner and entrepreneur for over 25 years, owning other businesses in Illinois and Indiana. She previously owned a portable restroom company that was located in Steger but sold it to focus her time on her other passions. She loves working at the Sweet Vine with her team and serving delicious pastries and sandwiches. She is always impressed by the talented bakers at the café that continue to amaze the customers with all of the homemade baked pastries.
Greg, also a small business owner and entrepreneur has been in the drywall and rental property business for thirty years. With his office located in Steger and his family from Crete, Greg has been a part of the Steger community for years.
Debra and Greg enjoy spending time with the customers at the Sweet Vine but when they have time off, they love to spend it with family and friends, boating, fishing or having family game nights.
Sharon
Manager & Cook
Meet Sharon! You can find her in the kitchen, cooking up delicious menu items! Sharon is a Hoosier at heart, but was originally born and raised in Roseland, IL. She is the proud mom of two children, and will be a grandma for the second time in May.
Sharon has previously worked behind the scenes in restaurants cooking up yummy food in the kitchen. She also worked as a bus aide on the special needs buses for Lake Central school district and as a care giver with Visiting Angels. Sharon currently manages the Sweet Vine among other roles If you asked her, she would tell you, she LOVE'S her job! One thing people would be surprised to learn about Sharon is she is actually quite funny, out going and really enjoys hanging out with people!
Lenore
Baker
Meet Lenore! She has been a Baker at the Sweet Vine since we opened in early 2020! Her favorite thing to bake is our peanut butter cookies. If you have been to our cafe and tried one, you'll know why she says these are her specialty!
Prior to baking, Lenore was a medical transcriptionist and an editor (now retired), but baking has always been her favorite hobby. Lenore is the "go to" baker for all her friends' and family parties. She once came in second place in a Chicagoland Panera cooking competition and has competed in at least three Pillsbury Bake-Off competitions. She has two life-long dreams—one is to go to Italy, which she will be doing next September and the second is to be a contestant on Jeopardy; she continues to take their test each year. Perhaps one day she'll be able to meet Alex Trebek and personally give him a peanut butter cookie! Now that would be a sweet "daily double".
Amy
Hostess
Meet Amy!
Amy loves to decorate for the holidays and traveling whenever she can. She has one daughter, a pitbull and a Siamese cat that keep her busy in her spare time. She has over 30 years experience in customer service and loves working with people.
Holiday & Seasonal Pastries
Pastries Made Fresh Daily
Made to Order Cafe Items