Longtime Viagra Triangle Coffee & Snack Shop Replaces Bow Truss in Gold Coast Park

The Gold Coast’s precious gelato could be headed back to Mariano Park. Over the weekend, news spread that Whispers Cafe would be returning to the Chicago Park District outdoor venue at the intersection of Bellevue Place, Rush and Cedar streets, a.k.a. “The Viagra Triangle” in the Gold Coast. Whispers was the park’s coffee and snack shop for 13 years before Bow Truss coffee took over in May 2016.

Ald. (2nd Ward) Brian Hopkins’ office made the announcement that Whispers would open “within the next two weeks.”

The Mariano Park spot is a seasonal location with plenty of outdoor seating. Bow Truss has closed several coffee shops, including Mariano Park’s, during a financial crisis. Bow Truss founder Phil Tadros is also involved in a handful of ongoing lawsuits including one against would-be Bow Truss investor Marcus Lemonis (host of TV’s The Profit). There’s another lawsuit against Budlong Hot Chicken’s Jared Leonard over the rights to the Budlong brand.

Bow Truss’ shutters provided an opportunity for Whispers’ return. The park district previously received interest from a variety of restaurants, including Gibsons Restaurant Group, to take over the spot before it picked Bow Truss.

Ashok Selvam

As for the gelato, last year Gold Coast residents created a petition to switch gelato vendors at Mariano Park. Bow Truss was using Black Dog Gelato, and many nearby locals felt the product wasn’t good enough for the neighborhood. It remains to be seen if these angry dessert fans were consulted before the decision was made to bring back Whispers. The park district will likely hear those opinions whether they solicited them or not.