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Jimmy Beans Brings Freshly Roasted Small-Batch Coffee To Logan Square

By Mina Bloom | October 10, 2016 5:33am
 Jimmy Beans Coffee, 2553 W. Fullerton Ave., quietly opened a couple of weeks ago.
Jimmy Beans Coffee, 2553 W. Fullerton Ave., quietly opened a couple of weeks ago.
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DNAinfo/Mina Bloom

LOGAN SQUARE — The latest coffee shop to join the neighborhood is small, independently-owned and focuses on roasting locally-sourced beans on site.

Jimmy Beans Coffee, named for a nickname given to owner and former farmers market peddler Jim Petrozzini, quietly opened at 2553 W. Fullerton Ave. a couple of weeks ago ahead of a grand opening party set for Oct. 29.

The party will double as an art opening for local artists Lauren Feece, Chris Silva, Sick Fisher, Michael Kardis, Karen Rettig and Brenda Dunn. Petrozzini owns the whole building, and is converting the upstairs apartment into an accompanying community-based arts space. 

Petrozzini bought the building two years ago. He had been working in real estate for more than two decades and was looking to parlay his side gig of selling green coffee beans at the farmers market into a business.

"It's a hobby that took off," Petrozzini said. "Now I get to live the dream. It has the potential to be a lot of fun."


Owner Jim Petrozzini with the shop's old-school manual roaster. [All photos DNAinfo/Mina Bloom]

The result is affordable cups of coffee — everything from espresso to nitro for about $2-$4 each — using beans from Petrozzini's purveyor of choice: Burman Coffee Traders in Wisconsin, which has relationships with small farmers around the world.

The shop also sells beans by the pound, which will set you back anywhere from $6 to $30, depending on the country of origin. 

All of the coffee is hand roasted on site using an old-school Diedrich roaster, which can only be operated manually.

"We want to be able to know our coffee and replicate it ourselves," Petrozzini said.

In addition to fresh coffee and beans, the shop sells baked goods from local bakery and millhouse Baker Miller, which Petrozzini said was a natural choice given his friendship with owner Dave Miller. Soon, the shop will also carry slices of Baker Miller pie. 

When asked what sets Jimmy Beans Coffee apart from other shops in the area, Petrozzini said: "We're small and we can cater to peoples' needs."

Michael Smith, an employee working the counter, echoed Petrozzini's sentiment, saying "This is just a neighborhood joint where you don't have to feel intimidated ordering a cup of coffee."

In the coming weeks, the second floor will start hosting art exhibits, live music and other events — all of which will be announced ahead of time on the shop's website.

The Oct. 29 grand opening party will begin at 4 p.m. and end at 8 p.m.


A glimpse at the upstairs community-based arts space.

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