Philz Coffee Shop To Open In Wicker Park

CHICAGO — Philz Coffee will open its Chicago flagship shop in the Wicker Park Connection development next summer, the building's owners announced Tuesday. The San Francisco-based coffee chain has rented space from Hubbard Street Group and co-developer Centrum Realty.

This marks the second market outside of California for the fast-growing brand, which specializes in handmade coffee blends that are personalized to each customer’s taste. The new 2,100-square-foot Wicker Park location, at 1640 W. Division St., will also offer a selection of locally-sourced baked goods and freshly-made foods.

“Philz Coffee felt an undeniable kinship to the Wicker Park neighborhood, as it’s similar to our San Francisco roots,” said Jim McPhail, chief growth officer of Philz Coffee. “We’re excited to bring that laid-back feeling to Chicago for coffee lovers who want to relax and drink coffee that’s prepared how they love it. Each coffee shop features design elements that reflect its surrounding neighborhood, and we love to invite local artists to display their work in our shops."

The pilates-based fitness studio Solidcore has also signed a lease in the building, and is set to open in the summer of 2019.

Other tenants include the national salon and beauty provider Salon Lofts, which will open a 5,000-square-foot location in the building in December, and the blow dry bar Blo, scheduled to open a 900-square-foot studio in 2019.

“With these latest commercial tenants, we’ve curated a true mix of lifestyle, health and wellness offerings that, we hope, will resonate with our residents and the broader Wicker Park community,” said John McLinden, managing partner of Hubbard Street Group. “This entire development is meant to be an experience – from the apartments, to the amenities, to the retail that lines our public plaza. As a result, we sought to partner with brands that would add to the buzz surrounding Wicker Park Connection, as evidenced by the brisk pace of leasing.”

Wicker Park Connection, a 15-story, 146-unit rental community, offers a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units that are 80 percent leased less than six months after welcoming first move-ins. It is currently being marketed for sale with the 60-unit Centrum Wicker Park, which opened in 2016 and is fully leased. The buildings are separated by a public walkway called The Connection that, when completed in 2019, will link Milwaukee Avenue and Division Street.

Image via Taylor Johnson: Philz Coffee - D.C. Location - San Francisco-based Philz Coffee has announced plans to open its first Chicago store in the ground level of mixed-use development Wicker Park Connection, with additional area stores to follow.