La Bodega Nears Grand Opening on Mitchell Street
The Latin American-inspired cafe will officially open its doors in mid-September.
La Bodega interior, 731 W, Historic Mitchell St. Photo courtesy of La Bodega.
A new, Latin American-inspired cafe will officially open its doors later this month, with plans to deliver a dose of color, community and coffee to the South Side.
A grand opening ceremony for La Bodega, 731 W. Historic Mitchell St., is set for Monday, Sept. 18.
The cafe, first proposed last summer, marks the culmination of a longtime dream for owner Eleazar Maldonado, who said he hopes the business will double as a community gathering place.
While designing the cafe space, formerly the site of an A-1 Beauty shop, Maldonado drew inspiration from both his wife’s Latin American roots and his own extensive travels throughout Central and South America.
“If you travel anywhere tropical — it could be Mexico, Puerto Rico, Honduras — it’s always colorful, everything is always vibrant,” he said. “So what we wanted to do was bring some of that indoors and make it feel like you’re in a Latin country somewhere.”
The result is Maldonado’s vision come to life — inviting, functional and bursting with color. The cafe’s walls are divided into sections, alternating black, red and mosaic-style murals in vibrant greens, blues, yellows and reds. On the far side of the room, opposite the entrance, a walk-up ordering window is situated within a wall-sized, painted bus, mimicking the sensation of visiting a food truck.
A mixture of high-top and custom-made domino tables are distributed throughout the space — some featuring double-sized chess and checkers boards — with the hopes that guests linger a while.
“There’s no rush, Maldonado said. “We want them to hang out, play dominoes and have a coffee at their leisure.”
Fun and games aside, the cafe also welcomes entrepreneurs and others who wish to network, meet and collaborate on projects and business ventures at the facility.
La Bodega will offer a range of specialty drinks including hot coffee, cold brew and tea. Maldonado said he’s especially looking forward to introducing a line of aguas frescas, including a coffee flavor. The cafe is also collaborating with a roaster to create its own brand of cinnamon coffee.
The food menu will be limited, but is likely to include a selection of pastries and other small bites. Maldonado also highlighted the house breakfast sandwich, which features chorizo and spam. “We want everybody to try it,” he said.
In addition to his entrepreneurship, Maldonado is a DJ for Hittin Hard Radio, whose offices are housed just above the cafe.
La Bodega held a soft opening on Aug. 18, offering guests a preview of the cafe space and a first taste of the menu. Attendees were encouraged to bring plant cuttings to contribute towards a future live plant wall.
The cafe will remain closed until its grand opening day. Additional updates and information, including a time for the grand opening, will be posted to the La Bodega Facebook page.
Starting Sept. 18, La Bodega will be open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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