Fat Miilk Cafe, the pandemic-born Vietnamese coffee brand, is opening its first cafe in Uptown, located at 5018 N. Broadway St.
The new 1,900-square-foot location will have about 500 or 600 square feet dedicated to the storefront, according to Eater Chicago. Fat Miilk Cafe, owned by Tuan Huynh and Lan Ho, plans to open this multi-use business in October or November. It will feature a cafe that closely resembles a cocktail bar as well as a phin brewing station visible to the public through a large window. Customers will be able to watch chefs make fresh pasta for the restaurant. There will also be a commissary space and a test kitchen.
The popular coffee brand first opened in 202 during the start of the pandemic and has operated through online retail and a series of pop-ups. In two short years, the company has created a fast-growing fanbase that has been asking for a brick-and-mortar since its inception. Now Ho is ready to take her operations to the next level with her first storefront and potentially more in the future.
“I see it existing in major markets with Uptown as the flagship for the Chicago market,” Ho tells Eater. “But who knows, we’ll open up this one and see what it looks like. Maybe there will be 10 in Chicago in the next few years!”
