Cup & Spoon Heats Up Humboldt Park

Coffee is great in that it keeps me functioning and sane, but it tastes even better when there's an innate sense of community involved. Cup & Spoon fills that heartwarming niche, a new coffee shop en route to Humboldt Park from owner/dream-chaser Rosie Quasarano. What started as a pop-up coffee operation at The NOSH is finally evolving into a full-fledged cafe, with grand ambitions to curate community and foster conviviality and comfort. It's not every day a coffee shop cares as much as this one.

Set to open at 2415 W. North Avenue in early spring, Cup & Spoon is the latest in a spree of indie art galleries, studios, and offbeat shops in the area, steadily rejuvenating Humboldt Park with an influx of community-oriented operations. For North Avenue resident Quadarano, the opporunity to open Cup & Spoon nearby was an opportunity to be a part of that growth, providing a much-needed hub for caffeine, conversation, and collaboration in the burgeoning 'hood. The cafe is situated in the front of the Dreambox Foto Studio gallery space, run by photographer Iwona Biedermann. In addition to coffee and photography, the space plans to implement art showings, poetry readings, and local musical acts. Like I said, this is not your average coffee shop.

"As far back as I can remember, I've wanted to run my own business," says Quadarano. "I worked my way through college as a barista and manager of a small art studio, and this endeavor combines both of those passions, as well as my love of getting to know people and their stories." She's been operating as a pop-up coffee shop to much success at The NOSH since fall, drumming up interest with patrons inquiring where they can visit her shop. Soon they'll finally have that answer. A fundraising event is currently underway for Cup & Spoon, so pitch in and help this admirable dream become a reality.

- Matt Kirouac