About Us - The Story Behind The Wild Roaster
From Fine Ingredients to Fresh Coffee
In 2017, Kaye Zubow Kharasch opened The Wild Roaster, a unique hand-roasted coffee shop serving Deerfield, Illinois, and the North Shore communities. Her vision was simple: bring world-class coffee, roasted fresh in small batches, directly to local coffee lovers.
A Culinary Background with Global Reach
Kaye is no stranger to the food world. For decades, she worked alongside some of the top chefs in the United States and around the globe. In the 1990s, she noticed that American chefs lacked access to the same high-quality, natural ingredients their European counterparts enjoyed.
To solve this, she founded Wild Game, Inc., the first fresh game purveyor in the United States. Kaye partnered with farmers worldwide and provided premium ingredients to legendary chefs including Jean Banchet, Gabino Sotelino, Didier Durand, Michael Foley, Tony Mantuano, Rick Tramanto, Emeril Lagasse, and many more.
A Passion for Coffee
During those years, Kaye developed a deep passion for coffee. Inspired by her chef partners who valued an excellent cup, she made coffee a daily ritual. Whether traveling with her own moka pot or sourcing unique beans, she became fascinated by the art and science of roasting. Eventually, that passion turned into home roasting — and later, into The Wild Roaster.
The Wild Roaster Today
At The Wild Roaster, Kaye applies the same philosophy that made Wild Game, Inc. a success: sourcing only the best ingredients from around the world and sharing them locally.
Small-Batch Roasted Coffee: Roasted daily and weekly in limited quantities to preserve freshness and flavor.
Local Roots: Serving Deerfield, Highland Park, Northbrook, Bannockburn, Lake Forest, Glenview, and the entire North Shore community.
Global Sourcing: Partnering directly with farmers and importers to secure top-quality coffee beans.
Accessible Excellence: Coffee that pairs with anything, designed to be delicious and smooth without interruption.
Fresh Coffee for Every Morning
Just as she transformed the U.S. culinary scene 25 years ago, Kaye now devotes herself to bringing freshly roasted coffee beans to her community and beyond. Whether you stop by the roastery, sign up for a coffee subscription, or order online for delivery, you’ll experience coffee crafted with passion, precision, and purpose.
With The Wild Roaster, Kaye brings her unique approach — built on decades of expertise and a love for extraordinary ingredients — to your cup every single day.r,” she’s bringing her well documented unique approach right to customers every morning..
