Samantha and Mike Koon both have their roots in small Midwestern communities and continue to appreciate the charm and appeal in living and visiting these places of Americana. Mike has returned to his hometown of Monticello, having graduated from Monticello High School. Samantha hails from Wolcott, Ind., north of Lafayette, where she both studied and worked at Purdue University, holding undergraduate and graduate degrees from Purdue and an MBA from Indiana University’s Kelly School of Business.

Samantha is continuing a family tradition of entrepreneurship, following her mother, who owned and operated a café and catering business. Samantha currently serves as the Director of Communications for University of Illinois Extension. She is also a lecturer at the University of Illinois. Samantha is the owner of the sister company, Greenhouse Cafe, a coffee shop and cafe located within the Allerton Park and Retreat Center. She enjoys entertaining, reading, and traveling.

Mike is a regular at local sporting events and has worked for 18 years as a communicator for both University of Illinois athletics and the U of I’s College of Engineering. He holds a B.A. in broadcasting from North Central College in Naperville, Ill., and continues voice work as a public address announcer and radio voice for Illini sports, having served in that capacity for football, volleyball, women’s basketball, soccer and softball.

Mike and Samantha and their daughter live within walking distance of Zybell House and downtown Monticello.

While searching for the perfect location for a wine bar and coffee shop that Samantha was dreaming of opening, Mike and Samantha found this property and fell in love with it. Built in 1859, the house is a stately example of Monticello's historic roots. The Zybell family built the house as their family home in the early days of the town's founding.

When Mike and Samantha took possession of the house, it was in need of a great deal of tender, loving care. In addition to painting, refinishing hardwood floors, and updating plumbing and electrical systems, they also installed a new kitchen and bathroom and renovated a second bathroom. Though extensive and sometimes unexpected, the challenges of renovating a 160-year-old home were matched only by the joy of bringing one of Monticello's historic homes back to life.