Ten New Coffee Shops in the American Midwest

There were so many intriguing coffee shops that opened throughout the American Midwest this year, whittling this list down to 10 was a task worthy of Paul Bunyan’s axe.

There are warm new coffee shops galore from St. Louis to St. Paul. While some are new expressions from existing brands, or long-awaited cafes from established roasting outfits, others offer whole new takes on coffee craft and service.

As we continue our 2023 Year in Review, here are 10 of the biggest coffee shop openings in the Midwest.

Located in the Crossroads district space formerly occupied by Kansas City coffee company Thou Mayest Coffee Roasters, the new coffee shop and bakery called Take Care by Oleo envelopes guests in the comfort of things well-wrought and long-lasting… read more

Take Care by Oleo. Courtesy photo.

Acting on a strong hunch that Peoria, Illinois, has room for more high-quality, fresh-roasted specialty coffee, Peoria native Ty Paluska returned home to launch Intuition Coffee + Juiceread more

Intuition Coffee + Juice. Courtesy photo.

The new 1,700-square-foot shop in the Gateway City reflects the company’s roasting and retail roots in the city of Tulum along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico… read more

Brew Tulum. Courtesy photo.

The opening rekindles the glow of a 2,800-square-foot cafe space formerly occupied by College Hill Coffee, a neighborhood institution that went dark following the pandemic… read more

La Terza. Courtesy photo.

Safely distanced from the touristy hustle and bustle of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, a Colombian-family-owned coffee shop and roastery called Magnifico Coffee has opened on the city’s north side… read more

Magnifico Coffee. Courtesy photo.

True to its word, Pinky Promise Coffee has expanded in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, with a retail coffee shop now up and running at the front of its roasting facility… read more

Pinky Promise. Courtesy photo.

Solstice Roasters, a Cleveland roasting company that has operated for three decades behind the scenes in the business-to-business realm, has stepped fully into the light of day… read more

Solstice Roasters. Courtesy photo.

The new shop spreads over 1,900 square feet formerly occupied by Starbucks Coffee on the ground level of the 28-story Market Square building. The space was already optimized for retail cafe service, giving the growing Tinker crew more time to dabble in the finer details… read more

Photo by Nick Joson, courtesy of Tinker Coffee.

Specialty coffee has traveled into an NBA team’s former headquarters in Indianapolis, where the intense navy blue of the Indiana Pacers now gives way to Blue Mind Coffee Roastingread more

Blue Mind Coffee Roasting. Courtesy photo.

On a bustling corner of Lyndale Ave and 24th St in Minneapolis’ Whittier neighborhood, the new 900-square-foot shop can can accommodate approximately 30 patrons, although it’s also built to handle stampedes of grab-and-go guests… read more

SK Coffee. Courtesy photo.