Milli by Metric
Coffee shop · Logan Square ·
Specialty coffee, pastries, wine, and seasonal food
Specialty coffee, pastries, wine, and seasonal food
"Set inside a 12,000-square-foot former antiques warehouse, this bright, sprawling café and roastery brings Metric Coffee to Avondale as a welcoming daytime third place and the company’s new headquarters. For now it’s open daily from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., pouring coffee alongside a pastry program that’s already made it a popular destination; breakfast and lunch will roll out soon, followed by dinner, plus natural wine, beer, and kombucha on tap and a dedicated pickup window to ease long lines. Designed by co-founder Darko Arandjelovic, the space is bright and inviting with marble counters, custom lighting, and lush greenery, preserving much of the building’s original character and shifting naturally from day to night. There’s a long communal table up front, two additional seating rooms, plentiful power outlets, and free Wi‑Fi, and the team wants it to grow into a European-style neighborhood gathering spot where sharing tables feels natural—already, students, quilters, chess players, knitters, photographers, and artists have settled in to work. Pastry chef Lou Turner leads a nostalgia-driven, hyper-seasonal menu that draws on local farms: a campfire cookie inspired by childhood s’mores on a Pennsylvania Christmas tree farm, rotating bakes like zucchini bread, and current offerings such as croissants, fig cross-laminated buns, raspberry rye éclairs, and canelés. Looking ahead, expect small plates, sandwiches, and dinner fare, community events, and an outdoor patio by next spring." - Jeffy Mai
"Local coffee roaster Metric already has a coffee shop on the near West Side, but they’re officially diving into all-day cafe territory with Milli. In addition to coffee and other drinks, they have pastries like pain suisse, fig buns, and garlic twists. The plan is to expand the menu, so keep an eye out for new dishes." - John Ringor
"Metric Coffee is one of the most revered coffee roasters in Chicago. Later this year, the operation will shift to Avondale, where they’ll roast coffee and open a wine bar, all-day cafe, and pizza spot. Needing an under-construction space to represent chef Adam’s (Adam Shapiro) upcoming restaurant, The Bear crew turned to Metric. Viewers get a closer look at the space in Season 4, Episode 3." - Ashok Selvam
"An ambitious new café-and-restaurant project from the team behind Metric Coffee (Xavier Alexander, Darko Arandjelovic) that includes a secluded patio intended for sipping wine, hanging out and perhaps listening to live music — co-owner Xavier Alexander compares it to Bacchanal Wine Bar in New Orleans. The plan calls for all-new pastries (they shut down their Brite brand last year), pizza service, a back area for private events and pop-up dinners, and a shift of roasting operations to Avondale that will free up seating at the West Town location (which will be retooled as more of a showroom for high-end home espresso machines). The space will open in phases under a new name, with a late spring or early summer debut anticipated." - Ashok Selvam
