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Coffee Supplier To Arbor, Lula & Others Is Opening a Cafe

Metric Coffee's cafe should open next month

A rendering of Metric Coffee Co.'s cafe
A rendering of Metric Coffee Co.'s cafe
Norsman Architects
Ashok Selvam is the editor of Eater Chicago and a native Chicagoan armed with more than two decades of award-winning journalism. Now covering the world of restaurants and food, his nut graphs are super nutty.

The same company that supplies coffee to restaurants like Lula, Cellar Door Provisions, Caffe Streets and Arbor is opening a cafe at their Near West Side roasting plant. Metric Coffee Co. is opening a coffee bar in June where customers can watch the roasting process while drinking their coffee, according to a company spokeswoman.

The plant is inside the incubator at the Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago. Neighbors include Time Machine Juice Co., who will supply cold-pressed organic juice for Metric. The coffee's the focal point, and they'll also serve cold-brew coffee on tap. Metric will also serve a rotating selection of pastries and small-bite pairings. Imagine house-made scones. They're also thinking about making gluten-free and vegan options.

They'll have a take-away coffee bar where customers can lean on, and the space will have large garage door-windows that will roll up to the sidewalk. Norsman Architects, whose work includes Maria's Community Bar/Kimski, Caffe Streets and Piccolo Sogno, is handling the design. They haven't worked out the hours, but expect an early morning opening with coffee served until a mid-afternoon closing.

A former Intelligentsia employee, Xavier Alexander, co-founded Metric in 2013. Expect a June 24 opening at 2021 W. Fulton St.