But on this stretch of 63rd Street, where there are few amenities to complement the well-groomed town homes between Stony Island and Woodlawn avenues, Robust does more than provide a jolt of caffeine, a bite to eat and a place to surf the Web — it is helping change the perceptions of the Woodlawn neighborhood and 63rd Street.

"When I saw it, the feeling that I had was hope," said Shau Booker, who lives within walking distance of the coffee shop at the corner of 63rd Street and Woodlawn Avenue.

Decades ago, 63rd was one of the busiest streets on the South Side. Today, it is a volatile work in progress. In addition to the town homes that have sprung up in recent years, there are a handful of shops and offices and a restaurant. The sprawling Apostolic Church of God at 63rd and Dorchester Avenue and the South Side YMCA at Stony Island Avenue anchor the street.

But from Woodlawn to Ellis Avenue, 63rd Street changes dramatically. Empty lots extend three blocks on either side of the corridor, and commercial activity is virtually dormant until you near Cottage Grove Avenue, where Highland Community Bank and other businesses reside.

Since 1999, 63rd Street has been part of a tax increment financing district, or TIF district, which means increased taxes based on improved property values are plowed back into redevelopment efforts in the area. Still, development has been slow to come.

The street has been stigmatized, said Booker, who recently attended a neighborhood association meeting at the Robust Coffee Lounge. The shop stayed open late to host the meeting.

"The stigma is that there are not enough (people to) open up a business and get a certain kind of clientele," said Booker, who moved with his wife from South Shore to Woodlawn a few years ago.

But there is a large enough population to support restaurants and the like, he said, citing employees from the nearby University of Chicago and Hyde Park High School, as well as residents.

It is that diverse mix of people that helped convince co-owner Jake Sapstein that the location could work. The coffee shop has been doing a brisk business since it opened in July.

"I get a lot of people that ask, 'Why here?' And it's the way they ask that leads me to believe that nobody expected something like this ever to pop up here," said Sapstein. He already was familiar with South Side neighborhoods because his family once owned a chain of drugstores in the community.

Sapstein, who is also a real estate agent, found the location when he was showing lofts in the mixed-used building where Robust is located. When another space he was eyeing for the lounge fell through, he decided to open his first coffee shop on the ground floor of the building.

Sapstein views the coffee shop, which he describes as a blend of Starbucks and Manny's, the famous Chicago deli, as a draw for future residential development.

"We brought our A game and we are hoping other people who come in now ... will try a little bit harder," said Sapstein, who lives in a loft above the coffee shop, which he co-owns with Derek Cortelyou.

Ald. Willie Cochran, 20th, said Robust adds to a "sense of community" in Woodlawn. "My goal now is to recruit businesses that can support each other in that portion of the community," Cochran said.

Mari Gallagher, an urban development researcher and consultant based in Chicago, said residents can "capitalize" on the coffee shop to lure new services — what urban development experts call the snowball effect.

"The highest level of retail always sets the tone," she said.

Cochran said a plan to build a 280-unit housing development on a stretch of 63rd Street stalled because of the recession, but he is working with the developers to revive the project.

Meanwhile, a day school and a coed residential treatment program for children and adolescents with emotional issues plans to build a new facility on the vacant lots not far from Robust, said Cochran.

It's important to "balance the community with middle-class and upper-income" residents to support development and create a healthy neighborhood, he said.

From 1960 to 1970, Woodlawn lost population, especially middle-class residents. Today, based on the efforts of longtime organizations including the Woodlawn Community Development Corp. and the Woodlawn Preservation and Investment Corp., the area has attracted more moderate-income residents and homeowners.

Despite the newcomers, however, the median household income is $24,495.

And the Sept. 14 fatal shooting of a 14-year-old boy and ongoing crime around 63rd Street illustrate the challenges in making the neighborhood safer.

Alfreda Beth, a graduate student who has lived in the area about eight years, stumbled upon the coffee shop when she was walking to the library with her children. She likes the reasonable prices, the decor and the ability to connect with neighbors.

"You have to go to Hyde Park for everything," Beth said. But Robust shows that "someone is willing to come here and set up shop."

Like most urban pioneers, the shop's owners must have seen the untapped potential in the area, Gallagher said.

"Pioneers can see something beyond what other people see," she said. "They take a risk, but they can also reap the reward and get the loyalty from residents."

Source: Chicago Tribune

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A realtor by training, the owner Jake Sapstein first got the idea to open a café and deli while showing condos at the building. Built in 1890, it had been gutted and redeveloped after 35 years of vacancy. Prospective buyers asked what was going into the first-floor retail units and said they would love to have a coffee shop or a deli in the building. Realizing there was demand, Sapstein decided to meet the need with Robust.

The café and deli, which first opened its doors at the end of July, seats 75 people in a mix of tables, comfortable chairs, and bar stools.

"We’re not the kind of aficionado that some people would expect," said Sapstein, whose coffee is "cheaper than Starbucks, a little bit more than Dunkin’ Donuts."

Sapstein said he looked at coffee shops in the area to see what niche he could fill. Noticing that Third World Café and Backstory Café closed early in the afternoon, he keeps Robust open until 7 p.m. on weekdays and 8 p.m. on the weekends.

"We looked at the other coffee shops to see what they were doing wrong," Sapstein said.

He said the large space makes it an appealing option for students looking to get out of the dorms—especially South Campus Residence Hall—and study, using the café’s free wireless Internet.

Sapstein said he’s been getting traffic from University affiliates like business and law school students as well as local Woodlawn residents. He said most of his business comes from neighbors living within a four-block radius of the café who have changed their routines to incorporate Robust.

"Even if there’s a coffee shop in your dorm, you’re not going to study there," Sapstein said, adding that while students like the change of scenery, they can rest easy knowing that there’s an emergency blue light right outside Robust.

The community was ready for a higher-end food option nearby, Sapstein said, citing the success of community gardens and urban farms in the area. "There are people that are more aware of better products in the neighborhood," he said.

Sapstein said his main priority is catering to people’s needs, whether that means offering vegan options or paring a turkey sandwich down to the basics for a picky eater. "If you’re going to buy it, then we’re going to carry it."

The café offers Milwaukee-based Alterra coffee, baked goods, and deli options like a barbecue brisket sandwich with slow-cooked pork, cheddar cheese, and a pretzel bun. Robust also stocks offerings from local bakeries, like Brown Sugar Bakery on East 75th Street and South Calumet Avenue. "We’re kind of like a curator of all the fine baked goods you can get," he said.

According to Sapstein, the University of Chicago Woodlawn Charter School came to him and asked if he would sell Gatorade. It wanted the kids to come to Robust for snacks and drinks after school instead of going to the gas station convenience store nearby.

Business has been good enough that Sapstein is already looking to expand the store’s space as well as its offerings: He’d like to add a full-service restaurant with breakfast options like eggs and hash browns.

While most of East 63rd Street is currently home to plenty of empty lots, Sapstein said that between the southward expansion of the University and the needs of South Side residents, the area has the potential to become a retail hub.

Source: Chicago Maroon

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So, after several friendly proddings from readers, we finally made it down to their corner location on 63rd and Woodlawn -- where, as a rosy-cheeked youth I walked in days of yore, neath the dappled sunlight of a cacophonous elevated rail spur, in search of Harold's Chicken -- to find that we weren't the only ones retracing our footsteps.

For the most interesting thing about Robust Coffee Lounge-- where, despite the name, it is hoped they do not brew robusta coffee beans -- is actually the owner Jake Sapstein's backstory. In opening up Robust, Sapstein is retracing footsteps of his own. Talk to him for a little bit and you'll quickly realize that he knows the South Side. The reason is that his family owned a chain of pharmacies throughout the area, back in the day when Walgreens was not the only game in town.

It's clear that running a small business, and entrepreneurial spirit, are in his blood; so is running a store on the South Side of Chicago.

I mention all of this because I couldn't help but wonder, approaching the building in this photograph from the north, surrounded as it is by enormous tracts of empty land, who would have the guts to open up here. Not just because it's kind of scary at night (ask Jake, he'll tell you), but because commercially it's deserted, and business loves company. The whole story has a sort of poetry: the old threads of social fabric, torn for over half a century, have been stitched together again on one particular street corner. With any luck, so we are told, Sapstein and his business partner may open up a restaurant next door.

And the coffee? Well, if you've gotten used to Z&H, you may be a little let down. Then again, Sapstein's aim is not to be a solo foodie boutique, but to grow and make money -- full-disclosure to Old-Guard Hyde Park anti-capitalists. But the baked goods are all locally sourced, and everything on the deli menu -- which is substantial, and includes staples that you can't get in Hyde Park anymore, like chicken salad -- is made in-house. "We want to be a curator for local vendors," Jake told me.

Seems to be working so far. Go check it out, if you haven't already.

Source: Hyde Park Progress

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It’s clear that the owners of Robust were taking a risk in opening this coffee shop. South Campus has a built-in café and even students who want to get away from the dorms might prefer the comfort of familiar haunts like the Med to the conveniently located but less picturesque Robust Coffee Lounge.

Luckily, there are more reasons to make the trip. I went to Robust this past Friday for some breakfast, and to check out this potential new vision of business development in Woodlawn. There are four distinct seating areas, which works well to make the most of the large open space of the café. There are metal tables for two by the window, a bar area, a small coffee table with cushy chairs and a larger wooden table and booth area for bigger groups and longer stays. Although I did not bring my computer, everyone else in the café was online, and my receipt had an alphanumeric code that gave me access to free wifi.

All sandwiches are served in plastic containers for carry-out, it seems, and my drink came in a paper cup. This is a small detail, but I would hope that Robust would start serving their food on plates and their drinks in mugs, not just for environmental reasons but also to encourage people to stick around and enjoy their purchases. Of course, presentation shouldn’t matter if the food is good, and here Robust performs admirably. The café offers a host of breakfast and lunch sandwiches, in addition to a wide variety of coffee, espresso, and shake drinks. I ordered an egg and cheese croissant that was quite good for the price. Robust also definitely knows its coffee, which was some of the best I’ve had on the South Side. In fact, the café is the only one I have seen in the area to offer pour-over coffee, a lengthy and expensive brewing method. Derek, the co-owner of Robust, assured me that the end result is "well worth the price."

The lounge has gone to great lengths to be a friendly community café. There is a bulletin board already covered with flyers and business cards, and a loaner library in the back carrying everything from Danielle Steel novels to primers on ancient mythology. The music of choice ranged from downbeat to fun pop from the ‘70s and ‘80s. However, all the trappings of a neighborhood institution do not an institution make, and in this sense Robust suffers from being so new.

The kind of vibe the place wants to create can only come with time, and Robust still seems to be finding its image. Their logo looks a bit corporate, and yet the menu is artfully chalked on a blackboard. The theme of the place is an unexpected mix of road trip and bistro, with street signs decorating the wall and bathrooms and "back to basics" coffee carafes hanging from the ceiling. In a nice touch, an old dresser serves as the condiment holder. Robust’s eclectic look has potential, but it’ll take patrons to make it cool.

Robust was sparsely populated when I visited. The place in general was very quiet, and the few people who were there were alone. I did go at an odd hour, but I believe the emptiness of the place is indicative of its obscurity to University students and the surrounding community. It seems unlikely that Robust will prosper without a serious growth in student business in the coming months—something the owners recognize. Derek says, "The neighborhood response has been really positive, but we’ve only started advertising around campus."

And I hope that presence develops. Robust is a great spot, growing pains and all. It makes a good escape area for South Campus students, and with support it could draw other businesses into the area. It has better hours than the bizarrely limited Third World Café, and is far more fun to hang out in than a Starbucks. And as far as the worries of gentrification go, this café is essentially an oasis in an asphalt desert. At least a place like this, pretense and all, creates dialogue about how Woodlawn should develop as the University expands south of the Midway. That can do a lot more than another vacant lot. Robust Coffee Lounge, 6300 S. Woodlawn. Monday-Friday, 7am-7pm; Saturday-Sunday, 8am-6pm. (773)891-4240

Source: Chicago Weekly Online

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However, Jake Sapstein’s not having any major difficulties these days. Sapstein is the owner of Robust Coffee Lounge located on the corner of 6300 S. Woodlawn. He and his business partner, Derek Cortelyou–who is also his life partner of ten years–have been in the space for five months.

Sapstein says he chose Woodlawn because the neighborhood needed a shop like his.

The idea behind Robust, Sapstein said, was for it to be a campus staple for the University of Chicago and the community nearby. Sapstein had never worked in any coffee establishments before.

"I’ve worked a lot in the industry. I’ve worked for Gibson’s restaurant as a bartender. I worked as a server throughout college as well as high school," he said.

Sapstein appreciates the great response from the neighborhood so far.

"This is something that is so diverse that everybody can enjoy it. You don’t have to have money, it doesn’t really matter what your background is, this is a place for you to come and study, work and relax and have coffee, which is something that everybody enjoys," he said.

Time Out and the Maroon have written up Robust and helped drive the thirsty and curious to its door. But despite all the good press, Sapstein is still concerned about the reputation of the area and how late to stay open.

The current hours are Monday through Friday, 6am to 8pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 7am to 7pm.

"That’s actually been a concern of ours because a lot of our customers ask will we stay open later? It seems reasonable because some of the big chains stay open until 9 or 10 o’clock or later. We’ve said to people that as the neighborhood progresses, we’ll expand our hours. Until that point, we try to be thoughtful of everything that’s going on around us," said Sapstein.

Justin Boyd, a Woodlawn resident and regular customer, had nothing but good things to say about the lounge.

"I liked it, it’s great. I’m in support of small guys," says Boyd, who lives on the 7300 block of Woodlawn and is a Kennedy King College sophomore.

"There’s a Starbucks not far from my house, but I’d rather come here," Boyd explains while sipping on a mocha latte.

Christina Jenq, a Ph.D. student at University of Chicago and a Hyde Park native for the past three years, has also been a regular customer for the past couple of months.

"I was very excited when I found out about it," Jenq said, while typing on a paper on her laptop. Jenq thinks this sort of business is a great change for the area.

In the future, Sapstein plans not only to remain in the Woodlawn area, but to expand his lounge to other areas as well, especially college campuses.

Leecos Omollo, a first year MBA student at Northwestern and resident of Woodlawn for the past year and a half, has been coming to the lounge since they opened.

Omollo would like the hours to be extended.

"I’ve asked them many times, I want them to close at midnight. But I know the neighborhood has to change for that to happen," Omollo said.

Dr. Leon Finney is the pastor of Metropolitan Apostolic Community Church, and also works with The Woodlawn Organization.

He shared his ideas about businesses and the area.

"It’s a market issue. Where’s the critical mass of people with disposable income? There aren’t enough blacks working now; we’ve lost 15 million jobs. We need a robust community. There are not enough people in the population for retail," Finney said.

Lauren French, a senior at University of Chicago Charter, doesn’t reside in Woodlawn but has been a regular customer for six months. She also had good things to say about the lounge’s presence in the neighborhood.

"I think it has a positive effect on the neighborhood, its bringing people together, getting students to do more work," she said.

Source: ChicagoTalks

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