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LOGAN SQUARE — Intelligentsia is closing its Logan Square and Wicker Park coffee shops, an official with the company said.
The two outposts — Logan Square at 2642 N. Milwaukee Ave. and Wicker Park at 1609 W. Division St. — will close April 19, said Lori Haughey, the company’s vice president of retail coffee bars.
Both shops opened 10 years ago, and their leases are set to expire, Haughey said.
Intelligentsia decided against renewing “due to the traffic trends that have remained soft since coming out of COVID and the overall increase in expenses across the board to run a business,” Haughey said in an emailed statement.
Eater was first to report the news.
Both coffee shops are unionized, according to Eater. A union official confirmed to Eater the Wicker Park shop is closing for the reasons Haughey provided. A union representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday evening.
The closures will leave Chicago with three Intelligentsia coffee shops: 3123 N. Broadway in Lakeview and two in the Downtown area at 53 W. Jackson Blvd. and 53 E. Randolph St.
RELATED: Can Chicago’s Independent Coffee Shops Bounce Back? Cafes Cut Hours As They Struggle
Founded in 1995 by friends Doug Zell and Emily Mange, Intelligentsia has become a force in the specialty coffee industry with coffee shops and training labs in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Boston and Austin, according to its website.
Intelligentsia’s struggles to stay afloat during the pandemic reflect broader industry trends.
Cafe owners across the city have been forced to reduce their hours, close locations or raise prices as more people work from home rather than in public spots during the pandemic and ingredient shortages mount.
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