Blue Bottle Coffee Debuts First Chicago Café

Oakland, California-based specialty coffee roaster and retailer Blue Bottle Coffee has opened its first Chicago location at the Wolf Point East development located along the banks of the Chicago River at 313 W Wolf Point Plaza. 

According to Karl Strovink, CEO of Blue Bottle Coffee. “Chicago is Blue Bottle Coffee’s number one city in terms of number of at-home subscribers who don’t yet live near a cafe."

Blue Bottle Coffee’s first cafe in Chicago will debut with cafe's most comprehensive culinary menu to date; a beverage menu with full liquor license; artwork from local creators such as Cody Hudson and The Weaving Mill; a curio area with seasonally changing past, present, and future Blue Bottle Coffee merchandise and coffees; as well as forthcoming classes in the Brew Lounge where cafe guests will have opportunities to interact with brew tools and methods.

Blue Bottle’s Wolf Point cafe will offer options roasted and prepared seasonally, changing coffees for both pour overs and espresso drinks, a rotating selection of blends and single origins, and signature items including their New Orleans-Style Iced Coffee; specialty signature espresso drink, The Gibraltar; slightly caffeinated and subtly floral, Cascara Fizz; complex and earthy, Matcha Latte; as well as the Japanese-style cold brewed coffee, Oji. In addition the cafe will feature a full liquor license with beverages including the NOLA Round Two, a boozy interpretation of the classic New Orleans-Style Iced Coffee; a Cascara Whiskey Soda; and a Gin and Juice Spritz featuring housemade lemon yuzu simple syrup. The menu will also feature a full range of wines and beers from local Hopewell Brewing Co. 

The new cafe’s culinary menu will feature classic Blue Bottle selections including avocado toasts, breakfast sandwiches, and Liège wafels, alongside a lineup of items including smoked whitefish toast with cucumber, radish, and yuzu kosho on Publican Quality Bread sourdough; creamy egg salad toast with pickled peach and frisée, on Publican Quality Bread sourdough; and sweet potato and raclette gratin sunflower seed crumble, with a nine-minute egg and frisée. 

The first Blue Bottle Coffee location in Chicago at Wolf Point East has a 400-square-foot patio overlooking the Chicago River. The cafe will be the sole retailer occupying the building’s retail space. Bottle Coffee will be opening additional Chicago locations in the next two years.

Blue Bottle Coffee’s Wolf Point location will be open Monday through Sunday from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.