A lot has happened since our last chat. If you’re new here, welcome. If you’ve been rocking with us for a while—have you stopped by the café yet? If not, you should. Monday Coffee is finally available seven days a week. What a treat.
For those who don’t know, I’m Felton Kizer, co-founder and head roaster of Monday Coffee. I cosplay as a barista on Sundays and Mondays. Most people know us from our residencies across Chicago from 2021 to 2023, but that’s just one side of our coffee journey.
Amanda Christine Harth and I launched Monday Coffee in October 2020, starting with just one product: a ready-to-drink black cold brew. To our surprise, people loved it. I had about a year of barista experience at the time, so we teamed up with Rosie and Alex of Littlefoot Coffee Roasters to bring the vision to life. After a year of working together, I realized this was something we truly wanted to nurture and grow. So I dove in—learning everything I could about coffee. Eventually, that meant traveling back and forth between Chicago and Grand Rapids to study sourcing and roasting under Alex.
Fast-forward to 2022, when we began our relationship with Duo and the birth of STARLING—a space for liberation, a true community amenity. Amanda and I never wanted a traditional coffee shop. Chicago has enough of those. But what Chicago didn’t have was a building like Starling. Honestly, I don’t think anywhere in North America does.
I won’t bore you with buzzwords, but I’ve never been in a space like this. As a photographer and creative director, I see endless possibilities beyond just our coffee bar and roastery inside. And I promise—when you step inside, you’ll get it.
We officially opened our doors on November 9, 2024. Since then, the team and I have been focused on making North Lawndale our home. I hear the whispers when people realize where we’re located. At first, it was discouraging. Now, when people ask, Why here? My answer is simple: Because people live here. And if I’m feeling snarky, I’ll add that I source coffee from Black and Brown countries, so I want to sell coffee in Black and Brown communities.
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Our website is finally back online, and whole beans are available. I’m still green in my roasting journey and refuse to rush my process or understanding of the craft. Since opening, I’ve been focused on one origin at a time, exploring, experimenting, and letting curiosity lead the way. For the coffee nerds—more on that soon.
We recently launched Sunroom Session, a music series with our friend and collaborator, Otez. If you haven’t been to the café yet, we have a beautiful skylight, and honestly, what’s better than music and coffee under natural light? Otez will curate vibes every Saturday this month from 11 AM to 2 PM.
Later this month, we’re teaming up with Black Film Club to host our first cinema night. You can RSVP (for free!)
—Kizer