Intelligentsia
Doug Zell started his coffee career at Peet's and then sold Peet's the majority stake in the company he built here, in October 2015. This is the Millennium Park door, one of three the roaster has left in Chicago.
Why go
Zell and Emily Mange founded it and co-own it with Geoff Watts, and all three kept a significant stake and stayed in the business after the sale.3 Time Out counted six Chicago coffeebars that October.3 The company's own index now lists three: this one on East Randolph, the Monadnock on West Jackson, and Broadway up in Lakeview.2 This door opens at 6:30 in the morning, every day, has a patio and free wifi, and doubles as a Sweetgreen pickup point.1
Order this / avoid
- Avoid: confusing this with the Monadnock coffeebar. That one is 53 West Jackson; this one is 53 East Randolph.2
Good to know
- Hours: Monday to Sunday, 6:30am to 7pm.1
- On site: a patio, free wifi, and a Sweetgreen Outpost for pickup.1
Verdict
listed — Doug Zell and Emily Mange built this roaster in Chicago before they sold Peet's the majority stake, and this door is a working coffeebar with a patio on East Randolph that opens at 6:30 every morning. Three of the six Chicago rooms that were trading in 2015 are gone, and no critic has published a word about the cup here, so there is no case for crossing town for it.