LOGAN SQUARE — An neighborhood grocery that will carry fresh produce, organic items, a full deli and eventually beer and wine opened over the weekend in Logan Square.
Farmers Pride took over a former grocer at 2110 N. Milwaukee Ave., but has completely revamped the interior and product offerings, according to Roddy Hashish, general manager of the shop.
"We did a lot with the space," he said. "We aren't just a place where you are coming in for a bag of chips and a soda."
The business will also include a Dark Matter coffee bar inside that is also still under construction.
Hashish said he built a strong relationship with the folks from Dark Matter as both of the businesses are near the intersection of Western and Chicago.
Because of that relationship, the popular coffee roaster agreed to a partnership to set up a full coffee bar inside the Logan Square grocery shop. The coffee bar will feature a full-service espresso machine and have pastries and donuts each morning.
"The guys are Dark Matter are the most genuine people you can meet," Hashish said of the new partnership.
Dark Matter is setting up a coffee bar inside the grocery store. [DNAinfo/Paul Biasco]
While there is a CVS across the street, Hashish said he doesn't think the new grocer will have any problems with the competition.
Farmers Pride's only other location in West Town is near a Mariano's, and that has not stopped the business from being successful Hashish said.
"We just do our thing," he said.
The new grocer opened Saturday, but as of Monday was still stocking some of the shelves and filling out the deli and meat counters.
The new Farmers Pride is still awaiting word on its liquor license application.
The plan is to carry beer and wine and eventually open a "beer cave" walk-in cooler.
The West Town Farmers Pride, 756 N. Western Ave., opened a "beer cave" last year stocked with 200 varieties of beer.
There's about 20 parking spaces out front, but Farmers Pride plans to eventually build a front patio for the coffee shop and deli, which serves sandwiches.
"We were just talking about how great it's going to be just being able to walk down here," said Yann Stuart, a 24-year-old employee of the nearby bike shop The Bike Lane. "And the beer. That's crucial."
Roddy Hashish helps put out the first shipment of produce Monday afternoon. [DNAinfo/Paul Biasco]
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