The Unboring Granola is located at the Wilson Street Mercantile at 222 E Wilson St, Batavia, IL 60510.
I ask my friends all the time what businesses in the area I should feature on the Know Your Neighbors of the Fox Valley video series. When over a cup of coffee at Grahams 318 Coffee House, one of my best friends Jessica Sida said without a second’s hesitation I had to meet Max Mong at The Unboring Granola, I asked immediately if she could make an introduction. Jessica said, “I’m so excited to connect you to Max! His story is amazing, what he makes is delicious and made with so much intent and love, and what he stands for is exactly what our world needs”.
I called and spoke to Max the next day and his passion for his company and for his community oozed out of the phone. If enthusiasm is contagious, I’d say I caught the bug that day. Max talked about his dreams for not only The Unboring Granola but also for his larger umbrella business The Unboring Snack Company. While Max has some of the most dedicated and passionate fans that I’ve encountered in the Fox Valley, what keeps him up at night isn’t the recipes or his ever-growing granola business, it’s the chapters of his future that have yet to be written. Max says, “”I’ve worked in the Food & Beverage Industry for over 20 years now. I have a unique blend of fine dining and corporate experience having worked for Chefs like Wolfgang Puck and Consumer Packaged Foods companies like Kraft Foods. I’ve done everything from line cooking, catering, private cheffing, corporate R&D, and brand management. I founded The Unboring Snack Company as a way to offer consumers enhanced versions of their favorite foods like small-batch granola, dessert parfaits, and prepared meals. I have the greatest job because I get to spend my time creating products people love! The Unboring Granola was my first product line and I’m super-excited to introduce many more in the near future!”
Currently, Max sells two varieties of his butter… (Yes, butter, people! Which by the way makes all things better!) baked small-batch granola. The first and most popular is the original which is a super-indulgent buttery granola in a bar format for convenient snacking. The second is the gold dust topping which is a delicious buttery granola sprinkle that perfectly complements your favorite Greek Yogurt.
Furthermore, The Unboring Granola is:
- 100% Nut-Free
- All-Natural
- Made with Certified Organic Grains & Seeds
- Packed in 8oz sealed bags
- Produced locally
- Made with Heirloom Rolled Oats grown here in Illinois by Brian Severson Farms
Max got his big start with The Unboring Granola at The Batavia Boardwalk Shops, where his cult granola following was flourishing. At the end of his lease, he moved his business (along with other Boardwalk Shops alums Light and Pine Collective, Desmond Brown Homemade, and Lily & Pie), to the Wilson Street Mercantile.
His current store hours are:
Store Hours
Mon CLOSED
Tue CLOSED
Wed CLOSED (Checkout available at Light & Pine Collective 10am-5pm)
Thu 12-5PM
Fri 12-5PM
Sat 10-5PM
Sun CLOSED (Checkout available at Light & Pine Collective 11am-4pm)
When he’s not at the Mercantile, you can often find Max at Dream Hall at 51 located at 51 S Grove Ave, Elgin, IL 60120 where he’s mixing up a fresh batch of granola, or dreaming up new menu items for his other restaurant endeavor Birdette’s Chicken. Birdette’s is “Gluten-Free Fried Chicken. Ultra-Crispy. Hand-butchered. Fresh Never Frozen. Cage-Free & Vegetarian-Fed Birds.” When I met Max at his kitchen I tried his chicken and it’s just as amazing as his granola. If you are near downtown Elgin I highly recommend you stop by for some of the cracklin’ chicken.
Max is one of those people who upon first meet you’ll get a very real sense of who he is. I’d say he wears his heart on his sleeve, but if you really want to find out what he’s thinking, just follow him on Instagram. He’s a compelling story-teller who crowd-sources a lot of his business strategy directly from his followers. He, just a week ago, was asking for feedback on his Dinners by Max menu offerings and taste preferences. Dinners by Max is a ‘coming soon’ project where you can grab nutritious, restaurant quality lunch and dinners to-go. Give him a follow to see what dreams he’s spinning up for the future.
If it’s not clear by now, I’m a big fan of Max and his businesses. So please, do yourself a favor and go meet him for yourself. And, while you’re there tell him Kristine says hi!
FUN FACTS ABOUT MAX MONG
Favorite Restaurants
In general, I love dining at restaurants that have a very unique vibe with great food…that I can still take the kids to!
- Gia Mia (Geneva) – Sophisticated, but family-friendly Italian-American food
- St Charles Place Steaks & Chops (St Charles) – Old school “Parisian-themed” supper club
- Hardware Gastropub (Aurora) – Well-executed dishes and a modern menu
Favorite Shops
- The Batavia Boardwalk Shops (Batavia) – Amazing local artisans making custom goods!
- Cocoon (Geneva) – This is an amazing store where you’ll find great gifts for the home.
- Ream’s Meat Market (Elburn) – I had to include a food-centric shop!
Favorite Things to do in the Fox Valley
- Explore Trails – We’re surrounded by so many walking trails and prairie land so we enjoy getting outside.
- Funway Family Entertainment – Our kids are just getting to the age where mini-golfing, bowling, roller skating are fun family activities.
- Geneva Public Library – My kids are very artistic and nerdy at the same time so we love spending time visiting our local Public Library.
CONTACT INFO
222 East Wilson Street Batavia, IL 60510
THANK YOU TO ALESSANDRO MADONIA – PREFERRED RATE
Very special thanks to Alessandro Madonia at Preferred Rate Mortgage for sponsoring today’s espisode! Alessandro and his team are committed to providing clients with the highest quality financial services, combined with the lowest rates available.
Contact Alessandro with all your home lending needs!
Alessandro Madonia
Senior Mortgage Advisor NMLS #: 224210
630-300-8706
Preferred Rate – Partnered with American Pacific Mortgage (NMLS # 1850)
