Are you looking for a more upscale coffee shop? Ralph's Coffee, the very photogenic coffee shop from Ralph Lauren, has just launched its first Chicago outpost inside the brand's main store on Michigan Avenue. Hundreds of luxury brands have entered the hospitality industry, such as Gucci Osteria in Beverly Hills and Armani Ristorante in New York City, but cafés provide a more inexpensive entrance point into the design-conscious world of fashion dining and drinking. Ralph's Coffee shops in New York have become a TikTok mainstay (one even appeared in the new HBO Max Gossip Girl revival), and the Chicago branch promises a similarly aesthetic-driven experience.
The 16-seat shop, which is located next to RL Restaurant—the brand's first-ever hospitality offering, which debuted in 1999—channels Ralph Lauren's signature preppy vibe with herringbone wood floors, wainscoting, tufted banquettes, and a crisp green-and-white colour scheme, as well as a fireplace and large windows overlooking Michigan Avenue. Even the staff, who are dressed in Ralph Lauren striped shirts and matching ties, appear to be from a catalog.
But you're not only here for the looks! The shop serves a variety of specialty coffee blends and espresso drinks from La Colombe, which you can take to go and sip while shopping in the adjoining retail store, as well as pastries, yoghurts, overnight oats, and other sweet treats, including a morning glory muffin that is only available in Chicago. While you won't be able to replicate Ralph's precise prep school ambiance at home (unless you redecorate in colours of white and hunter green), you can buy branded cups, tote bags, T-shirts, and coffee beans for home brewing if you don't want to compete with the inevitable hordes of Instagrammers. Ralph’s Coffee (750 N Michigan Ave) is open Monday–Saturday 8am-8pm and Sunday 9am-7pm.
