A familiar Southport Avenue storefront is preparing for its next chapter. Dollop Diner, the full-service restaurant concept from Chicago’s Dollop Coffee Company, is set to take over the longtime Southport Grocery & Cafe space at 3552 N. Southport Ave. after the neighborhood favorite closes at the end of 2026.
The transition means Southport will retain a breakfast-and-lunch destination at one of its best-known addresses, but it also marks the end of a 23-year era for a restaurant that helped define the corridor’s neighborhood dining scene.
What Is Dollop Diner?
Dollop Diner is the sit-down restaurant offshoot of Dollop Coffee Company, a homegrown Chicago brand known for locally roasted coffee, house-made baked goods and neighborhood cafes. Unlike a coffee counter built primarily around drinks and pastries, the diner concept centers on a full breakfast-and-lunch menu.
Its existing restaurant is at 5060 N. Clark St. in Andersonville, where Dollop describes its menu as locally sourced, classic American fare alongside Chicago-roasted coffee. The Andersonville restaurant currently lists daily hours of 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Those hours have not been confirmed for Southport.
Based on its existing diner concept, Southport diners can expect a brunch-oriented approach rather than just another grab-and-go coffee shop. The precise Southport menu, opening date and any planned changes to the space have yet to be announced.
From an Uptown Coffee Shop to a Chicago Brand
Dollop began in 2005 as a small cafe in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. Over the following two decades, the company expanded under entrepreneur Dan Weiss, building a network of cafes across Chicago and developing its own coffee roasting and baking operations.
The company says it roasts its coffee and makes pastries and bread in-house. Its approach has emphasized individual cafe designs and menus rather than making every location feel identical. That distinction may matter on Southport, where the character of a storefront can be as important to neighbors as the name above its door.
Where Else Can You Find Dollop?
Dollop’s current location directory includes cafes and restaurants in Lincoln Park (Belden Avenue), River North (Wells Street), the Loop (Washington, Monroe and Michigan Avenue), the Gold Coast, Streeterville, Uptown, Ravenswood, the South Loop and Andersonville, along with a joint Dollop and Hoosier Mama Pie Co. location in Evanston. The company describes its network as 14 cafes, though location lists and operating formats can change.
Southport would expand the company’s diner footprint beyond Andersonville and bring its full-service restaurant model to Lakeview.
Why Southport Grocery’s Departure Matters
For 23 years, Southport Grocery & Cafe has been far more than a place to eat. Owner and chef Lisa Santos developed a loyal following for signature dishes such as bread pudding pancakes and cupcake pancakes, while the shop’s specialty grocery shelves, preserves and neighborhood traditions made it a distinctly local destination.
Santos announced that Southport Grocery will close at the end of 2026 and encouraged customers to come celebrate its final months. Reporting on the transition also indicates Dollop and Southport Grocery have had a business partnership for roughly three years, suggesting the incoming operator is not entirely new to the space or its history.
For longtime customers, the change is understandably bittersweet. Replacing a beloved independent restaurant with a growing multi-location company raises familiar questions about how Southport Corridor is evolving—and which neighborhood experiences can be preserved as the retail and restaurant mix shifts.
What Does Dollop’s Arrival Mean for Southport Corridor?
There are reasons for both optimism and nostalgia. On the positive side, Dollop is a Chicago-founded business, not an out-of-town national restaurant chain. Its arrival would maintain an active food-and-coffee use at an established dining address and potentially introduce the restaurant to a new wave of neighborhood regulars.
At the same time, Southport Grocery’s closure is a reminder that the corridor’s appeal was built in part by distinctive, owner-driven businesses that became woven into residents’ routines. A well-known local brand can help keep a storefront vibrant, but it cannot simply replicate the memories or personality of the business that came before it.
The real test will be how Dollop adapts to Southport: its menu, service, design, neighborhood relationships and ability to become a gathering place rather than just another location on a map.
What Happens Next?
Southport Grocery & Cafe is expected to remain open through the end of 2026, giving neighbors time to stop in for a final favorite dish. Dollop’s specific Southport opening date and plans for the space have not yet been publicly confirmed.
What do you think? Are you excited to see Dollop Diner on Southport, or will Southport Grocery be impossible to replace? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Related reading: Southport Grocery & Cafe to Close at Year’s End After 23 Years on Southport Avenue.
Sources: Dollop Coffee: About; Dollop Coffee locations; Dollop Diner; DNAinfo historical reporting.
