Goose Island Coffee Shop Debuts as Area Preps for Transformation

The Goose Island location of Passion House Coffee Roasters opened earlier this week off Division Street, just east of Elston Avenue. It’s the funky cafe’s third location, joining the original in Logan Square and inside the Politan Row food hall in West Loop. The opening is a larger sign of what developers plan for the area as they see untapped potential on the manmade island intersected by Division, between Elston and Halsted Street.

Passion House is the second restaurant in the area, joined only by Goose Island Shrimp House, the 46-year-old fried seafood emporium that’s open late night. Kendall College is nearby on the perimeter of the island’s southern boundaries, but plans to soon move its culinary and hospitality programs to South Michigan Avenue after its acquisition by National Louis University. Developers are looking at more upscale food options for Goose Island. Hogsalt Hospitality’s Brendan Sodikoff (Au Cheval, Bavette’s) is teaming up with developer R2 Companies on a massive project that should further redefine the area in between Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, and Cabrini-Green.

Josh Millman, Passion House’s founder, is delighted to work with R2. They wanted “a cutting-edge coffee company” for the island, Millman said. Often, tech companies — like the ones R2 likely wants to court for its nearby office space — view good coffee shops as a necessary amenity. For example, San Francisco-based Philz Coffee (which over the summer opened its first Chicago location, just down Division in Wicker Park) has a cafe inside Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, California. DMK Restaurant Group opened Werewolf Coffee Bar in 2017 in the shadow of the proposed Lincoln Yards site.

“The businesses on Goose Island are innovative in their own rights and we get to be the pioneers of Goose Island with coffee and food,” Millman said.

Passion House debuted in 2011, then opened a coffee shop 2017 in Logan Square and has reinvented itself in a short time by adding more food options. Customers will find smoked chicken salad sandwiches and an heirloom tomato salad frittata on the menu. The food is from Charlie Trowbridge, who worked at Blackbird. The coffee is roasted in Chicago, and the menu offers creative drinks like a lavender latte.

Most Chicago restaurant owners know the area as they stop by a few doors down to pick up supplies at Restaurant Depot. Stroll through the space and check out the food and drink below. Passion House’s third cafe is now open.

Passion House Coffee Roasters, 1200 N. Branch, open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago

Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago