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

20 Sept 2025 · 2 min

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1:39

Monologue by the founder of Cafe Primary describing their transition from operating a gelato franchise to launching their own café brand focused on a European-style cafe experience. The founder emphasizes affordable menu pricing (items $15 and less), a full sweet-and-savory offering, obtaining a liquor license in Chicago (secured at the first location and extended to the second), and customer-focused positioning as a "sweet escape" where people often take dates — the State Street location has reportedly seen four engagements.

Questions this video answers

$15 and less.

Four engagements.

Yes — acquired at the first location and brought to the second.

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.