Clarendon Hills Coffee Shop Opening 'Well Worth Wait'

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – In April, the owner of a coming coffee shop in downtown Clarendon Hills aimed for an opening in early summer.

School is set to start soon, and the shop has yet to open.

In the village's July-August newsletter, Village President Eric Tech said Sparrow Coffee was making "excellent progress" and expected to open in the "coming months."

On Thursday, Patch left a message for comment with the restaurant, which has locations in Naperville and Chicago.

Asked about the project, Village Manager Paul Dalen said he did not have a grand opening date at the moment.

"(B)ut construction continues to make good progress," he said in an email. "From what I've heard about the coffee and food menu, the grand opening will be well worth the wait."

Sparrow is taking the spot of the old Starbucks at 100 Park Ave., combining three units in the block into one.

Residents are expecting Sparrow to be a big boost to downtown. Some have even suggested the village hold off on downtown improvements until they see how Sparrow affects the area.

In October 2024, the village granted a $622,000 subsidy for the project, with the owner agreeing to complete the renovation in a year.

The village has since been given two six-month extensions.

At a Village Board meeting in April, Sparrow owner Chris Chacko said the project has encountered hurdles.

"We feel almost like we're letting down the community, saying we're going to open at a certain time and we don't," he said. "This is a fluid construction project."

Sparrow's subsidy is coming from a tax increment financing district, or TIF, where growth in property tax income is reinvested in the district.

The idea is that the increased tax income would reimburse the district for the subsidy.