I stumbled upon today’s featured business on Instagram. It had a clever name, a good cause, and a fun look and feel to it, so I reached out to invite them to be on the podcast. In this episode, Ludlow Charlington’s Coffee Shop owner Naji Al-Awar shares why he ventured to open the shop at the beginning of August, how the shop got its name, why they share 50% of their merchandise sales proceeds with the FCACC (Friends of Chicago Animal Care and Control), and about the conscious sourcing and sustainability efforts of their business. I stopped by earlier this week to stop by the shop, located at 2425 N. Clark Street to snap some photos and grab an iced single-origin coffee. I thoroughly enjoyed both the shop and my drink! So grab a mug and have a listen to my interview with Naji from Ludlow Charlington’s!

In Naji’s interview we discuss:

• The unique theme of the coffee shop
• A bit about their pit bull Cora that they got from CACC (Chicago Animal Care and Control) and and why they chose to raise money and awareness for the organization that supports it FCACC (Friends of Chicago Animal Care and Control) 
• Why Naji chose to exit the film industry and open a coffee shop just a few short weeks ago
• Sustainability efforts and a bit about the vendors they chose to support this cause: Counter Culture Coffee, Kilgus Farms Dairy, and compostable disposable goods
• Pandemic effects on opening his business 
• An overview of the beverages and food they offer
• The origin of the name of the business

Naji’s nominations

Naji wanted to give a shout out to his Lincoln Park neighbors on Clark for supporting his business as they opened:

• Pizza Nostra – pizza restaurant at 2114 N Clark 
• Title Boxing – boxing gym located at 2417 N Clark Street 
• Stray Hen Cafe – Breakfast restaurant at 2423 N Clark St 
• Lincoln Park Food and Liquor – 2427 N Clark

Ludlow Charlingtons Coffee
2425 N. Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60614

Instagram: @ludlowcharlingtonscoffee
Facebook: @LudlowCharlingtons