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IRVING PARK — Decadent chocolate treats are coming to Irving Park when Katherine Anne Confections opens a neighborhood location May 10.
Owner Katherine Duncan is almost done with the buildout of the store and cafe at 3653 W. Irving Park Road. The 1,900-square-foot spot will seat 14 and have a full confection production kitchen in the back.
Duncan’s original shop in Logan Square is known for its drinking chocolate, truffles, caramels, marshmallows and other treats. The Irving Park location will feature her renowned confections alongside a vegetable-forward, savory café menu, she said.
“We’re going to rotate our pastry menu, and we’re going to do seasonal lattes and that sort of thing. For that, we’re going to make all of our syrups and sauces,” Duncan said. “So people will not just get a mocha but a Mexican hot chocolate mocha, a salted caramel mocha or a milk chocolate versus a bittersweet chocolate mocha.”
The Irving Park location will also have a full espresso bar that uses coffee beans from Hermosa-based roaster Factotum Coffee — a first for Duncan’s company, she said.
“The launch of espresso is really exciting for us,” Duncan said. “We’ve been working with Factotum’s Armando Rivera a few times already, and we’re really excited about his coffee knowledge.”
Credit: Provided.Duncan started her business by renting kitchen space and opened her first shop at 2745 W. Armitage Ave. in 2006. She’s expanded to selling her confections at more than 20 locations across the city, suburbs and in Ohio.
Duncan began looking for a second location three years ago, but the pandemic delayed her search. She was able to close on the Irving Park Road property last spring and received a $237,522 community development grant from the city to make the new location a reality.
Once it’s open, all of Duncan’s production will be moved to Irving Park, which will allow for a larger cafe in the Logan Square location.
“We are looking forward to not only serving up delicious drinking chocolate and espresso, but also hosting community-driven events [and] classes, and settling in as a neighborhood gathering place,” Duncan said. “The Irving Park neighborhood is home to some awesome food establishments, and we’re thrilled to join them. Everyone has been so welcoming already, and we can’t wait to meet more neighbors.”
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