Chicago’s Favorite Independent Coffee Bar Sets Up Shop Within New Grocery Store’s Old Town Location
Chicago, IL (March 13, 2013) – Plum Market®, your neighborhood connection to natural, organic, local and specialty items, is pleased to announce that Intelligentsia will bring its award winning coffees and baristas to the Company’s first Chicago store, located at 1233 North Wells Street in Old Town.
The new 1,200 square foot coffee bar, which will be situated adjacent to Plum Market, but independently operated, will open on June 13th – the same day as the grand opening of the new grocery store. It is the sixth Intelligentsia coffee bar to open in Chicago and one of five of its new retail coffee bars opening this year across the country.
“Partnering with Plum Market in the booming Old Town neighborhood was a no-brainer for us,” said Rob Buono, president of Intelligentsia. ” We’re thrilled to work alongside a company with premium offerings that’s committed to supporting local businesses.”
The new coffee shop’s contemporary design plays host to communal seating, a glass coffee bar and tall ceilings allowing for plenty of natural light. Architecture firm Gensler worked with the team at Intelligentsia to create a comfortable open space where people can enjoy remarkable coffee with minimal fuss. A custom colored La Marzocco Strada EP espresso machine takes center stage on the glass bar, with a small area for bar service. Intelligentsia’s renowned portfolio of single origin coffees will be available by batch brew for those wanting great coffee in a hurry, but also by the cup, for those who enjoy the ritual of a more involved brew method.
In addition to full-service grocery accommodations, including a high-quality selection of product at competitive prices, Plum Market features a vast eat-in and carryout assortment of foods made fresh daily. The store’s beverage program will feature ongoing educational tasting events in its wine bar and an extensive selection of domestic and imported craft beers, premium and hard-to-find spirits and popular and boutique wines.
Plum Market, which inspires guests to “live well with taste,” is located at 1233 N. Wells St. at Division in Old Town. The new 27,000 square foot store opens to the public on Thursday, June 13, with daily hours from 8:00am to 10:00pm. Guests have access to free parking on the second level (validation required). The Intelligentsia coffee bar, which will have a separate entrance on Wells Street, will be open from 6:00am – 7:00pm daily.
For more information, visit www.plummarket.com join us on facebook http://www.facebook.com/PlumMarketChicago and follow us @PlumMarket on twitter.
About Plum Market®
Plum Market® offers a full-service shopping experience to inspire guests to live well, with taste. The company is a privately owned company based in Farmington Hills, Michigan and has full-service grocery stores in Bloomfield Township, Michigan; Ann Arbor, Michigan; and West Bloomfield, Michigan. Matthew Jonna and Marc Jonna are third generation retailers who grew up working for their father’s store, Merchant of Vino Marketplace, a natural, organic, and specialty food and wine store with six locations across the Midwest. The chain attracted significant attention from competitors and in 1998 Whole Foods Market acquired the company. Both Jonna’s continued to work with the Whole Foods Market executive leadership team. Matt and Marc left Whole Foods Market to pursue developing a new grocery concept, later to become Plum Market with the first store location opening in 2007.
About Intelligentsia
Intelligentsia Coffee sources, roasts and brews specialty coffee from around the world. The company pioneered the Direct Trade purchasing model and is known for promoting fresh harvested coffee through its In Season program. Founder and Co-CEO Doug Zell opened the first coffee bar in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood in 1995 and has since expanded to Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. A team of 11 coffee buyers travels throughout the year to visit producer partners at origin and ensure the highest quality raw ingredient. Every Intelligentsia coffee bar is designed to fit its neighborhood; from the choice of furniture and layout to the coffee equipment and menu design. The design and execution of these coffee bars has led to Intelligentsia being considered one of the most innovative and premier coffee companies in the world.
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