Restored Rosenwald Court Apartments home to coffee shop
Sip and Savor Coffee House opened its third location at the corner of 47th and Michigan on Saturday Jan 26, 2019. The newest location is housed in one of the most historic buildings in Chicago. The Rosenwald Court Apartments, once the home of Nat “King” Cole, Gwendolyn Brooks and other legends in Chicago’s African-American community will house the upscale coffee shop.
The building, which underwent a four-year, $132 million restoration, was a hub of activity in Bronzeville back when restrictive covenants limited where African-Americans could live in the city.
Heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis, musician Quincy Jones and many of the neighborhood’s prominent doctors, lawyers and dentists once lived at the site.
The opening of this third Sip and Savor Coffee House was made possible thanks to the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund which generates revenue from downtown developments to finance commercial and cultural projects in Chicago neighborhoods lacking private investment.
Trez V. Pugh, III, founder and CEO of Sip and Savor, Inc. was part of the inaugural class of 2017 that received money from the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund. He was selected from among more than 800 applicants.
“I have been on a three-year journey to open this location. The two other Sip and Savor locations have been very well received by the community. I really wanted this location, to keep that momentum going, while being mindful of the rich history that this building has. This is a really big deal. To have this all culminate around Martin Luther King Day is my dream come true,” said Pugh.
Pugh, who mentors “at risk” kids and is passionate about doing his part in creating jobs, offers a hub for teens and adults through his Sip and Savor locations. Many in the community come to enjoy breakfast, exquisite brews of fair trade coffees and exceptional bites from local area bakeries.
Alderman Pat Dowell who was present for the grand opening adds, “The rehabilitation of the Rosenwald for housing and commercial uses has been an important accomplishment for the 3rd ward. When a project of this scale is completed with such strong support from residents, and community and business leaders, we know we are part of something special. Sip and Savor has been expanding its brand and we are glad to know that our “go to” coffee house has local roots and is planted on Bronzeville’s 47th Street.” The newest Sip and Savor is located at 78 East 47th Street.
See pictures of the grand opening on Sip and Savor’s Facebook page.
