WICKER PARK — A tiny Starbucks at Wicker Park's main intersection plans to triple in size by expanding into a neighboring storefront and also wants to serve alcohol, according to a public notice posted in the window of the cafe over the holiday weekend.
A Starbucks spokesman confirmed that the chain is "in the very early stages" of bringing an "Evenings menu" to the Wicker Park Starbucks.
"It’s a long and thoughtful process and the permit filing is just one of many steps we take," the spokesman said.
Efforts to reach Ald. Joe Moreno (1st) to gauge his support were unsuccessful.
Select Chicago Starbucks locations Downtown and in Albany Park and Hyde Park have been serving beer and wine in the late afternoons and evenings since 2012.
Located in the triangular 1880s-era 'Black Building Trust' that straddles Damen, Milwaukee and North avenues, the Starbucks at 1588 N. Milwaukee Ave. is about 600 square feet and offers just a few chairs for customers.
In March, Starbucks plans to expand into part of the former City Soles storefront at 2001 W. North Ave., adjacent to its existing coffee shop, which opened in 2001, according to the building's owner and Starbucks' landlord, Marshall Black.
When Starbucks opened, protesters angry about the encroachment of a national brand and the closure of its predecessor, indie staple Cafe Cafeina, shattered windows, according to reports.
Reached on Sunday, Black said that Starbucks has signed a lease to rent out 2100 square feet, with entrances on Milwaukee and North Avenue. The added space will allow for more seating and a bathroom, Black said.
"It took Starbucks two years; there was a lot of planning. [Starbucks] architects said that the building is built better than most of the new ones made today," said Black, a history buff who shared a recently discovered 1885 playbill found in the building dating to when the corner spot was a theater.
Starbucks representatives have been in talks with Black for at least two years about the possible expansion.
Last spring, indie shoe store City Soles, which rented a large spot in the building combining storefronts on North Avenue and Damen, moved to 1514 N. Milwaukee Ave.
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