LINCOLN PARK — The team behind independently owned Milwaukee-based cafe, roaster and bakery Colectivo Coffee is gearing up to open its first Chicago cafe on Clark Street.
The cafe is coming to 2530 N. Clark St., an 1,800-square-foot former Einstein Bros. Bagels, sometime this fall, the owners formally announced after a DNAinfo Chicago report.
“We’ve had our eye on Chicago for years,” co-owner Lincoln Fowler said in a prepared statement.
“It’s a world-class city where we can grow our business while supporting new communities and neighborhoods. This cafe will showcase the unique brand experience that we’ve been developing in Milwaukee for the past 23 years.”
Founded in 1993, Colectivo Coffee prides itself on its partnerships with local growers and roasting batches by hand. The cafe, originally called Alterra Coffee, operates 16 locations across Milwaukee and Madison, Wis.
In addition to freshly roasted coffee, the Chicago cafe will sell Letterbox Fine Tea, all-day breakfast items, signature sandwiches with slow-made bread and Colectivo Keg Co. house beer.
Colectivo Coffee also sells and distributes fresh baked goods under the name Troubador Bakery, which will be available at the Chicago cafe.
The baked goods and coffee will be produced in Milwaukee and delivered daily to Chicago.
A permit was recently issued for the project, which is expected to cost $800,000, according to Chicago Cityscape, an online tracker of city permits.
Plans include renovating the interior, transforming the parking lot into an outdoor patio and building a fire pit, according to a news release.
Once renovations are complete, Colectivo Coffee will be open daily from 6 a.m.-11 p.m.
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