LAKEVIEW — If you've been to Dollop Coffee in Lakeview lately, you'll notice things are looking different.
A little feverish, you might say.
A remodel featuring a huge portrait of post-Flu Game Michael Jordan kicked off at the cafe in September, part of a rebranding for one of six Dollop Coffees in the Chicago area. The chain will continue to expand with two more locations this year, but that's just the start of plans owner Dan Weiss has for Dollop.
In the 10 years since the first Dollop opened in Uptown, Dollop has folded in partnerships with Hoosier Mama Pie Company and Metropolis to its expanding business. Dollop plans to start making its own pastries next month in a Ukrainian Village bakery, 1000 N. Damen Ave. A to-go cafe is in the works for the Loop, 225 W. Washington Ave., as well.
Each Dollop is custom-designed to suit the neighborhood's needs, Weiss said. For Uptown, Dollop is a perfect spot to spend an afternoon on your laptop. In Lakeview, it's more of a meeting place, Weiss said.
"Have an espresso, say hello, stop in on your way and go. Or have a quick meeting. More in and out, less camp out all day," he said.
With Dollop's expansion, it's come to the point that Weiss wanted his own space to train baristas on the best practices in roasting and latte art.
"If you go to a Dollop right now, you're going to get latte art and an educated discussion about coffee," Weiss said. "But we're hoping that next level will come, just real mastery and honing in on the next level of coffee for us."
Part of the remodel at 824 W. Belmont Ave. included carving out the area formerly behind the counter and walling it off for a central training location.
The Lakeview cafe also changed its hours to focus on its peak traffic times: 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, leaving the cafe available for afternoon training, Weiss said.
While he's always seen Dollop as a neighborhood cafe first, "I think because we're growing and expanding, I want to get better. Not only have everyone get better at what they do, but also take care of the staff more," Weiss said.
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