EDGEWATER — A Black-owned coffee shop with multiple South Side outposts is working to open its first space on the North Side this month.

Sip & Savor is opening inside the former Starbucks at 1070 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., inside the historical Belle Shores Apartments building anchoring the Bryn Mawr commercial district.

The shop will be ready to open sometime in September after a few final inspections from the city, CEO Trez V. Pugh III said. 

Pugh operates five other Sip & Savor locations in Hyde Park, two in Bronzeville, South Loop and suburban Forest Park. This will be the second new location this year after also opening inside a former Starbucks near the Roosevelt Red Line.

Pugh said he’s excited to reach a “whole different demographic” with the Edgewater shop.  

“Sip & Savor is all about the five C’s, crisp, clean, classy, consistent, customer service,” Push said. “We want to bring quality products in a nice, elegant space to the neighborhood.” 

The new shop was fully decorated by local artist Jittaun Priest, who owns the interior design business Brush Works.

Priest said she tried to make the space feel “warm and inviting,” with new art pieces, turquoise accents and blue LED lighting along the coffee bar. Priest designed the chain’s logo and created custom artwork with actual coffee beans to decorate the shop.

Pugh and Priest met through Sunshine Enterprises, an organization that helps entrepreneurs connect with each other and grow their businesses with personalized support and education, they said.

“It is an honor to continue our working business relationship with a business mentor who I now consider a good friend and an inspiration to me as I continue to expand as an artist and entrepreneur in this area,” Priest said. 

The shop’s menu offers traditional coffee, lattes and mochas as well as blended drinks and smoothies. Sip & Savor’s signature drink is called the Caramel Royale Latte, which is made with caramel syrup, two shots of espresso, steamed milk and topped with whipped cream and and extra caramel drizzle. 

Food options include muffins, bagels, croissants, brownies and donuts. 

Pugh said he hopes the space will bring people in Edgewater together and provide a comfortable experience where people can get to know each other or get work done, he said. 

“It’s not just coffee, we want to be where coffee and community meet,” Pugh said. “People can expect more than coffee, they can expect an experience where it feels like they’re at home and a space that wraps its arms around you.” 

Pugh opened his first store, 5301 S. Hyde Park Blvd., in 2012, and another at 528 E. 43rd St. in Bronzeville two years later.

He opened a third location in the Rosenwald Courts Apartments in 2019, and reopened it in 2022 after a pandemic hiatus. The Black-owned Turner Haus Brewery opened within the Rosenwald location earlier this year.

South Loop’s Sip & Savor opened in July.

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