Restaurant Profile: Cafe Jumping Bean

The corner of 18^th, Blue Island and Loomis is to Pilsen what the “six corners” are to Wicker Park—its heart. Just west of the intersection, across from Pilsen Vintage and Thrift, lies Café Jumping Bean.

The small café carries a big reputation. Residents of Pilsen are sure to see a familiar face or two among the crowd, and a crowd it is: the roughly two dozen seats in Jumping Bean are almost always occupied, so don’t be surprised if you have to wait a few.

Ten small tables, topped with either vintage soda logos or hand-painted designs, fill the cozy space. At the end of the bar is a tiny bookshelf crammed with treasures, among them a few chess sets and the collected works of William Shakespeare. The walls are painted burnt orange, lime green, and golden yellow, a combination at once stimulating and sedating. A single flat-screen TV hangs on the wall—usually dormant.

The menu boasts a long list of coffee-based drinks, including some house specialties, like the almost unbearably rich Iced Velvet. Die-hard caffeine addicts will appreciate the $2.60 bottomless cup. Some notable entrée options include the focaccia, a pizza-like creation topped with cheese and your choice of topping, and, for vegetarians, the black bean and garden burgers, flavorful enough to satisfy even a devout carnivore. Also, donuts. No elaboration needed.

From ordering at the front counter to paying the check, at Jumping Bean you’re treated like an old friend until you become one. No hablas Español? No problemo. Most staff members are completely fluent in both English and Spanish, which reveals not only hospitality but a largely unique attitude toward the gentrification of the neighborhood.

Many establishments in Pilsen are decidedly Hispanic or white, and few businesses entertain overlap—while Jumping Bean encourages it. Here, there’s an emphasis on coexistence: not one culture superseding the other, but a unique and beautiful hybrid, built around trading bits of culture in exchange for a better understanding of one another.

Jumping Bean is thus one of a special few Pilsen spots that emphasize what makes us alike in a culture preoccupied with differences. The café is a breeding ground for undiscriminating inspiration and collaboration. This spirit takes the physical form of a community bulletin board-like table covered in business cards, event flyers, zines, newspapers, and the like.

If the corner of Blue Island, Loomis, and 18^th is the heart of Pilsen, then Café Jumping Bean is right in the center of its chest—and rightfully so. As the neighborhood changes, hopefully new businesses will take cue from Jumping Bean and their model of good coffee, great people, and a formidably creative spirit…not to mention the killer donuts.