Milwaukee-based Colectivo Coffee will open two more cafe locations in Chicago over the next year.
One of the cafes is planned in the Ravenswood neighborhood (1825 W. Lawrence Ave.) and the other is planned in the Southport neighborhood (3258 N. Southport Ave.). Both locations are slated to open in late 2024 or early 2025, according to a news release Monday.
The planned cafes will increase Colectivo’s Chicago-area store count up to seven, with existing locations in Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, Logan Square, Evanston and Andersonville. That’s in addition to 12 locations in Milwaukee and three in Madison, for a total of 22.
Both of the new Chicago locations will span approximately 2,100 square feet with indoor seating for 40 and outdoor seating for 30. The Ravenswood location will also feature a 400-square-foot mezzanine overlooking the cafe. Each cafe will be uniquely designed to fit the respective neighborhood.
“We are honored and thrilled to serve two amazing new neighborhoods,” said Scott Isabella, president of Colectivo Coffee. “These new cafes will uphold our commitment of being community gathering spaces.”
Colectivo was founded in Milwaukee in 1993. Its first Chicago location opened in 2017, and two years later, the company was working on plans to develop a production site for its wholesale baking business, Troubadour Bakery, in the city’s West Loop. Those plans ultimately fell through due to the COVID-19 pandemic but its cafe footprint has continued to grow.
Troubadour operates out of Colectivo’s location in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood, while the company’s roastery and corporate headquarters are housed at its Humboldt Boulevard site.
In 2022, Colectivo became one of the largest unionized coffee chains in the U.S., following a two-year employee-led campaign for improved working conditions and increased pay. Represented by IBEW Local 494 (Milwaukee and Madison) and Local 1220 (Chicago), Colectivo workers ratified their first union contract last year.
