Shining Light Cafe is a small-town cafe on Main Street in Northome, about 80 miles south of International Falls. Owner Teener O’Loughlin Swang opened the cafe in May 2016 after eight years of dreaming and planning. She is well known in the area for her baking and providing home cooked meals for events and gatherings.
The cafe is open seven days a week and serves breakfast all day, sandwiches, burgers, soups and salads, daily supper specials, and baked goods. The name comes from Biblical passages in Matthew, John, and 2 Peter. Teener’s vision for the cafe is to be a gathering place that brings the warmth of home and family to the community.
The bar countertop is inlaid with vintage black-and-white photographs of the Northome area preserved under a clear resin top. Music is a regular part of the atmosphere, and the cafe hosts potlucks, tea parties, birthday parties, arts and crafts, and storytelling nights.
Teener’s family has been in the Northome area for many years. Opening the cafe on Main Street was a way to honor her late father, who was born in Northome. The community helped make it happen. As Teener puts it: “It’s not just my cafe, it’s the community’s cafe.”
