One of Chicago’s leading independent coffee roasters, Metric Coffee, is opening a new multi-purpose facility in Avondale at 3110 N. Kedzie Ave.
The new 9,000-square-foot roastery and cafe will move into the former home of Olde Chicago Antiques sometime in 2023. Co-founders Xavier Alexander and Darko Arandjelovic tells Eater Chicago they were hoping for a Spring opening, but rising costs and ongoing supply chain issues could push this back to Summer or Fall 2023. The duo has established the brand’s presence in Chicago from its site on Fulton Street in West Town since 2013. They began searching for a bigger location in July 2021 and finally inked a deal this August.
When the new Metric Coffee opens in the 100-year-old Kendzie Avenue building, customers will have a lot to look forward to. The project will include an all-day cafe and roastery, brewing classes, a kitchen, retail space, and a production facility. While the owners are still working on a menu, a partnership with long-time baking partner Brite will provide the cafe with various pastries and baked goods. Customers can also expect various pressed juices, coffee, and other morning drinks.
The original Fulton Street space will soon close down and convert into a multi-purpose facility for coffee lovers, featuring brewing classes and espresso machines for students to use and learn. Customers can even bring in their own machines to better understand how it works. There’s no exact timeline for when the Fulton Street location will close its production and start its conversion.
“Avondale is going to be the crown jewel,” Alexander tells Eater Chicago. “In my opinion, there is no space that is quite like this. It’s about service, how we look people in the eye, how we greet and educate them, and make them feel like they can drink their coffee any way they want — a space for everyone, not just a certain demographic.”
