Black Dog Vinyl Cafe

Black Dog Vinyl Cafe blends a record store with a cafe in Plainfield: creative coffee, Illinois craft beer, cocktails, live music, open mics, and curated vinyl. The shop's owner describes it as a local gathering spot first, with records, drinks, and conversation all feeding the same room.

Interview with Black Dog Vinyl Cafe

Black Dog blends a record store with a cafe — creative coffee, Illinois craft beer, cocktails, and curated vinyl. How did all of that come together in Plainfield?

We’ve lived in Plainfield since 2005, so when we decided to open a business it was an easy choice to stay close to home.

Live music and open mics are a big part of the draw. How central is being a community gathering spot to what you've built?

Honestly, the music performances and performers are key to our business. At the heart of our mission is to be a community gathering spot where all people feel safe and included.

Reviewers love spending a whole afternoon digging and chatting with the staff. How much is the shop about conversation as much as the records?

That’s really insightful actually. Conversation is always flowing. Strangers bonding over common threads in music. We actually host a women’s “music club” Think book club, but it’s about this month’s playlist instead of a book.

The vinyl selection reads as carefully curated. How do you decide what makes the bins?

As far as used albums, people bring in collections all the time. Downsizes, deceased parents, speing cleaning. I also watch estate sales. I’m very discerning about quality. It’s not enough to just get a copy of an album, it needs to be a quality copy. As far as new music, I try to stay present in what’s new, I also rely on my 3 daughters(26,27 and 30) and my 3 part time employees to try and help me stay hip.

How do the cafe side and the record side feed each other day to day?

A shopper with a drink in hand makes for an enjoyable dog and usually a longer lasting dog.

When someone wants to sell records, what's the best way to start — and what makes a collection an easy yes?

Depending on collection size, they can just bring it in. When people call asking about larger collections I will typically ask them to video a portion of the collection to give me an idea of what they have. Rock n Roll sells. Classic Jazz, Blues, Hip Hop and Motown all sells. Elvis and Sinatra sell. The vocalists from the 70’s for the most part do not sell(Streisand, Manilow)

First visit to Black Dog — a drink first or the crates first?

Grab a drink and hit the crates, we even have cup holders!

Last updated: 2026-07-30

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