Angela Burns is the owner of Little Bean Coffee Company in Antioch, Illinois; check out the shop on Instagram.

When Burns dropped out of Purdue University for mental health reasons, she began working at Cafe Book, Little Bean Coffee Company's former iteration.

She loved working there and says it felt like home; when she returned to Purdue, she wrote an essay for Roxane Gay's class about the healing powers of the coffee shop.

After graduating, Burns worked in restaurant management jobs — until the owners of Cafe Book asked her if she would be interested in taking over the coffee shop.

On May 1, 2018, Burns handed over her check and began running Little Bean Coffee Company.

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When I first stopped into Cafe Book (now named Little Bean Coffee Company), I was home from college looking for work. I had dropped out the previous year due to depression and anxiety.

I drove through Antioch on my way to a different interview and saw that Cafe Book was hiring, so I stopped in to fill out an application. Two or three days later, I started my first training shift.

I had (and still cope with) severe anxiety and depression. I dropped out of Purdue University my senior year after a professor pulled me aside and we had a meeting about my work in class. I explained to her that it was difficult for me to focus, to get out of bed, to do homework, or to create any drafts or writings for class. I needed to go home before something irreversible happened.

The first thing I remember about walking into the cafe was the smell of freshly brewed coffee and the hiss from the espresso machine. I loved the warmth and coziness. My coworkers were incredible. They were helpful, encouraging, smart, and friendly.