AVONDALE — What do you do if you love coffee shops but there aren't any you like near where you live? Open your own, of course.
That's what a set of Avondale siblings decided to do at 3832 W. Diversey Ave. when they found their coffee shop options lacking.
"There's one like two blocks away, but it's more like a restaurant, so our plan is to create a place where people can come in and gather and spend a lot of time here," said owner Johanna Zito, 29, as she sat inside the new Brew Brew Coffee Lounge.
She and siblings Christian and Diana Medrano, also in their 20s, hope to have the shop open by the end of April.
"[Diana and I] usually go out and find a place to study, and usually we go to a 24-hour Starbucks," she said. "We love coffee, too, but there was not a coffee shop nearby."
Brew Brew sits at the corner of Avers and Diversey avenues, just a few buildings down from the family's home in the 2800 block of North Avers Avenue. The spot is also several blocks west of the Kimball/Diversey/Milwaukee intersection, which is exploding with hip new businesses and activity.
The Intelligentsia Logan Square coffee shop is nearly a mile away.
It doesn't hurt that Zito is about to finish a business management degree at Kendall College. Christian Medrano owned a convenience store where Brew Brew is located but after a larger convenience store opened nearby and sapped sales, "We knew we couldn't compete so that's why we wanted to do something new," Zito said.
The siblings have also launched a Kickstarter campaign to help them down the home stretch and buy an espresso machine, though as of Wednesday evening they'd only raised $590 of the $10,000 they need with just 13 days to go.
Zito is still hopeful they'll raise the money, but if they don't she said they'll lease an espresso machine to start.
In addition to those cappuccinos, lattes and mochas, Brew Brew will feature other familiar coffeehouse options, such as gourmet sandwiches and pastries, and will serve locally roasted Metropolis coffee. Zito said they hadn't picked a supplier for pastries yet, but knew she wanted to stay local for that as well.
"We want to do everything as local as possible," she said.
Though Brew Brew will be a bit off the beaten path, and a distance from the economic explosion happening on Milwaukee Avenue, Zito said they were confident they would have a strong customer base.
"A lot of people seem to be really intrigued about what's going on and seem to want a coffee shop," she said.
