AVONDALE — Tiffany and Rick Chavez went big for their 25th wedding anniversary.
Rather than just going out to dinner or throwing a party, the suburban couple finally pursued their years-long dream of opening their own cafe.
“Instead of silver, we gave each other a coffee shop,” Tiffany Chavez said with a laugh.
The unconventional anniversary present, called the Avondale Coffee Club, opens Friday at 3185 N. Elston Ave.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony with Ald. Deb Mell (33rd) is planned for 11 a.m.
Tiffany Chavez said she and her husband have wanted to open a restaurant or cafe — basically any establishment they could call home — for years.
It wasn’t until six months ago when they found the Elston Avenue storefront that things really fell into place.
“We felt like it was the perfect fit,” Tiffany Chavez said.
The idea behind the coffee shop is simple: Quality coffee from suburban-based Reprise Coffee Roasters paired with lunch options from Food First Chicago and pastries from the famous Dinkel’s Bakery — all in a well-appointed space.
“We wanted a space for people to meet and hang out that feels comfortable brings people together,” Tiffany Chavez said.
“That’s why we wanted Avondale because it’s an up-and-coming neighborhood and the people there have been really great.”
Though the Chavez family has called the suburbs home for about 20 years, they’re familiar with Avondale: Rick Chavez has run the marketing studio Urban Imaging, located just down the street from the new coffee shop, since 2004.
Tiffany Chavez, who works for a suburban school administration, is currently enrolled in a doctoral program so she can fulfill her retirement goal of both teaching and working at the coffee shop.
The longtime school administrator-turned-entrepreneur said she’s looking forward to using the coffee shop herself as she finishes up her dissertation, and she hopes others will find the space as warm as inviting as she does.
One of the coffee shop’s most distinctive characteristic is its serious mid-century modern vibes. Colorful lounge chairs, wood paneling, glass accents and a sputnik chandelier are just some of the retro design elements you’ll find in the space.
“It’s really different than your typical coffee shop in that regard,” Tiffany Chavez said.
The Avondale Coffee Club’s regular hours, which will take effect after Friday’s grand opening party, are 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.
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