Caña, a new coffee and cocktail lounge, is set to open in West Town this May, according to an April 27 announcement from owners Carolina Gonzalez and Josean Irizarry. The venue will be located at 1406 W. Grand Ave., taking over the former Great Lakes Tea House space.
The opening of Caña aims to celebrate Latino culture by blending the Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage of its owners with their Chicago upbringing. The design, menu, and overall mission are intended to reflect these influences. “A lot of the work that I do is based on … very ancestral ceremonial things that come from Mexico,” Gonzalez said.
During the day, Caña will operate as a coffee shop featuring locally sourced pastries and Colombian coffee from Magnifico Coffee Roasters. In the evenings, it will transition into a cocktail lounge offering canned cocktails, handmade signature drinks inspired by traditional flavors such as guava pastelito, classic cocktails honoring Latino heritage, as well as non-alcoholic options. On the food side, Irizarry plans to serve shareable plates along with handhelds and small bites.
Gonzalez also intends for Caña to support local artists through a rotating art program displaying their work on the walls each month. She described her vision for Caña as “chill, fun [and] energetic,” particularly aiming to create an inviting atmosphere for hospitality industry workers after long shifts: “I wanted to do something where it’s bright, it’s colorful, it’s music, it’s lively.”
Both owners have backgrounds in Chicago’s restaurant scene; Gonzalez previously worked at Woodwind Chicago before leading beverage programs at Diego restaurant and Trino steakhouse while creating Laberinto speakeasy bar. Noi Sek—former owner of Great Lakes Tea House—has joined them as an investor after expressing interest in entering the bar and restaurant sector.
Irizarry said they chose West Town because they want to bring Black and Latino influence into an area where such representation has been limited: “We’re definitely looking to kind of create that voice over in West Town.” Looking ahead with pride in their roots and history shared through food culture at Caña, Irizarry added: “The more path we walk in this, the more and more history comes up, the more and more proud I am.”
