LOGAN SQUARE — A Humboldt Park family originally from Bolivia is opening a coffee shop on Milwaukee Avenue that will double as a place to buy homemade gifts like hand-poured candles.
Paulo Espinoza, 19, and his mother, Claribel, are aiming to open La Plaza 24 Café & Boutique in a former ice cream shop at 2867 N. Milwaukee Ave. within the next two weeks.
It's the first business for the Espinoza family, which includes Paulo's two brothers, ages 21 and 15. Originally from Bolivia, the family lived in Brazil and England before landing in Humboldt Park about two years ago.
"We've always wanted to have a family business with a little part of each of us," Paulo Espinoza said.
Once it opens, the café will sell coffee and traditional pastries like salteñas, an empanda from Bolivia. More menu items will be added once the café is up and running.
Claribel Espinoza will handle the boutique side of the business, selling gifts including hand-poured candles and Brazilian chocolates in gift bags, according to her son.
"She has a creative mind. She cooks a lot; she bakes our cakes and decorates them. She has a way with it. She's always been like that," Paulo Espinoza said.
Ahead of the opening, the family is at work transforming the former ice cream shop, installing a custom-made register and hanging up local art.
"I think we'll add a Bolivian touch. It will be different," Paulo Espinoza said.
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