Kyoto Black
Coffee store · Edgewater ·
Japanese-style cold brew specialist with smooth, chocolaty notes
Japanese-style cold brew specialist with smooth, chocolaty notes
"A cold-brew coffee maker whose owner, Justin Doggett, joined the relaunch roster after scrambling for alternative sales following the abrupt closures; Doggett was reassured that the founder who repurchased the chain was not involved in the prior management when failures occurred and viewed the rehiring of former store workers as a positive sign that past mistakes won’t be repeated." - Ashok Selvam
"Japanese-style cold brew sensation Kyoto Black, the brainchild of founder Justin Doggett, is widely considered a premiere destination for a chilly cup (or several) in Chicago. A fledgling business when the pandemic began in 2020, Kyoto Black has accrued a significant fanbase devoted to its smooth, chocolaty notes." - Naomi Waxman
"Kyoto Black is a brand of bottled cold brew coffee that was sold at Foxtrot stores. The sudden closure of Foxtrot has resulted in a significant loss of sales for the brand. The owner, Justin Doggett, is now focusing on growing his direct customer base to compensate for the loss. Kyoto Black is known for its unique Kyoto-style cold brews." - Ashok Selvam
"Nothing makes you feel like a local more than having your go-to sushi spot. It’s one of the clear signs of being settled. You know your nearby Divvy station availability patterns, you’re on a first name basis with your favorite CVS cashier (what up Curtis), and you’ve got a reliable sushi spot. Sushi restaurants are notoriously difficult to judge by their covers, so settling on your go-to requires a decent amount of trial and error. And in Chicago, finding fish that actually tastes like it came from a body of water isn’t easy. But there she is, Kyoto, shining like a beacon on one of the frattiest, darkest strips in the depths of DePaul. Kyoto looks and feels like your average local sushi spot. It’s set below street level on a block of salons, bars, and takeout counters, so if you walk by too quickly, you’d easily miss it. But inside, it’s pretty lively. On the weekdays, it’s a great place to casually feed your date a crunchy salmon roll, and on the weekends Kyoto is filled with groups taking full advantage of the BYOB privileges. They really cram the tables in there too, so hopefully you brought enough Sapporo Lite to share with the people next to you. What really makes Kyoto stand above the rest, though, is that their sushi is really damn good. You can stick to your safe spicy tunas and edamame here, but we’d suggest branching out. After all, you’re probably going to be back." - Claire Schlafly
"On Crain's Daily Gist podcast, I listened as David Manilow nerded out over coffee with Justin Doggett, owner of Kyoto Black Coffee in Edgewater; Doggett, a cold-brew specialist, explained the differences between hot and cold brew, how roast levels affect flavor, and what to look for to get coffee with a flavor profile you like." - Naomi Waxman