From Gelato Franchise to Café Freedom #CafeLife #ChicagoEats #CoffeeCulture

29 Dec 2025 · 2 min

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1:39

A YouTube video (Dec 29, 2025) featuring the founder of Cafe Primary describing their shift from operating a gelato franchise to launching their own cafe brand in Chicago. The founder explains limitations of franchising, their desire to create a European-style cafe with varied sweet and savory offerings at affordable prices (items $15 and less), and the importance of securing a liquor license (noting it is difficult in Chicago). They describe the cafe as a "sweet escape" where customers unwind (espresso martinis, wine, prosecco), mention the State Street location has hosted four engagements, and emphasize quick stops and a relaxed atmosphere.

Questions this video answers

December 29, 2025

$15 and less

Four

Chapters

So Cafe Primary is my. I founded my own brand from prior years of experience of being in the franchise business under a gelato concept. And while I did that for a long tenure of time, I was always able as a franchisee to sort of look at my business and what would I do different? How would I make it better? But when you're in a franchise, you really can't do much. Your hands are tied. And so when I was given the ability to pivot and I could have my own brand, and I'm like, I'm going to bring the elevated, like, coffee shop, European vibes with a little bit of a taste of everything, which is sort of like, I feel like how I even enjoy life. A little bit of this, a little bit of that. And so the cafe really has a full, like, cafe like, experience where I wanted everything. $15 and less. Quick stop, a timeout from your city hustle, and you can enjoy a sweet, savory. And this time, I. I was able to helpfully acquire a liquor license, which is so difficult in Chicago. And so because I successfully did that at the first location, I brought a liquor license to the second location. And, you know, it's nice to see people unwind with an espresso martini or a glass of wine and prosecco. So it's a little bit more than just a coffee shop. I like to call it a sweet escape. And you just, you know, take a time out. A lot of people go there, like, on dates, which is really cute. I've had almost the State street location, has had four engagements now because they've had their first dates there.