Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

'Brothers Lounge' Coffee Shop Moves Into Former Jefferson Park Pizza Stand

By Alex Nitkin | January 19, 2017 6:27am
 The Brothers Lounge has moved into the former home of Pizza by Alex, 4801 N. Austin Ave., which closed in 2016.
The Brothers Lounge has moved into the former home of Pizza by Alex, 4801 N. Austin Ave., which closed in 2016.
View Full Caption
DNAinfo/Alex Nitkin

JEFFERSON PARK — After months of vacancy, the former home of Pizza by Alex, 4801 N. Austin Ave., has a coffee shop for a new tenant.

"The Brothers Lounge," named for the two Jordanian brothers who signed a lease for the standalone storefront in December, still has a few legal hurdles to clear before it can open, according to manager Abdel Qader.

But the building's interior is already furnished with long plush couches and strung with soft neon lights,
emphasizing the "lounge" in the cafe's name. They'll soon be joined by four widescreen TVs, Qader said.

The menu will include standard coffee, teas, juices and Turkish coffee, which is known for its small servings with grounds lingering at the bottom.

"It's not like a Dunkin Donuts or a Starbucks, where you take your coffee and go," he said. "The idea is that you can sit here for a while and relax."

Qader and his brother moved to Chicago from Jerusalem in 1992. Since then, they've run a grocery store and a dollar store in Little Village, but they'd long been planning to set up a new shop in a "quieter" neighborhood, Qader said.

The brothers will set an opening date as soon as they acquire a business license, Qader said.

For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here.