Southport Corridor & Wrigleyville — week of October 19, 2026
A week of milestones on and around Southport Avenue: a 23-year brunch institution announced its last day, a beloved diner brand announced its next chapter at the same address, a 55-year Lakeview East electronics shop closed its Broadway storefront, a viral bakery chain’s sixth Chicago location got closer to reality, and a 99-unit building moved forward on Sheffield. Here’s the week.
New openings
Dollop Diner is taking over 3552 N. Southport. The week’s biggest Southport news broke Saturday, when owner and chef Lisa Santos announced in an Instagram reel that Southport Grocery & Cafe will close at the end of the year after 23 years — and confirmed that Dollop Diner, the diner arm of Chicago-born Dollop Coffee Company, will move into the space. The Andersonville original (5060 N. Clark St.) is known for house-made donuts, chicken and waffles, and chilaquiles; Dollop Coffee Company runs about 10 locations across the city. The cafe stays open daily, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., through the end of the year, so there’s still time for a farewell breakfast. We covered the full story here.
Paris Baguette is coming to Lakeview East. The South Korea-based French bakery and café chain — viral on social media for croissants, pains au chocolat, and creative coffee and matcha drinks — is preparing to open its sixth Chicago location at 3478 N. Broadway. Signage with the brand’s logo appeared on the storefront over the summer; no exact opening date has been announced, but the sign currently reads “coming soon.” The chain’s five existing Chicago locations are in the South Loop, Streeterville, Gold Coast, Chinatown, and West Loop. (Secret Chicago, October 12)
Closings: A 55-year Lakeview East legacy closed its storefront. Royal Home Entertainment — in business since 1971, when owner Joe DeGuide and his brother John opened on Wilson Avenue — marked its final weekend on Broadway, with Joe’s last official day in the neighborhood anticipated around October 17. The shop moved to Addison and Broadway (3557–3559 N. Broadway) in 1973 and to its current Broadway storefront in October 1980, evolving over the decades from records and tapes to video rentals to electronics, custom installations, and security systems. The storefront chapter is over, but the business continues in a new form online, with Joe offering consulting on AV systems and installations. (Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce, October 10)
Development & real estate
A foundation permit moves the 99-unit Sheffield project forward. Urbanize Chicago reported October 15 that a foundation permit was issued for the five-story residential building at 3233 N. Sheffield, the former Torstenson’s Glass facility midblock between Belmont and School with the CTA L tracks behind it. Designed by 2rz Architecture and SGW Architecture & Design, the building will deliver 99 apartments — 6 studios, 44 one-beds, 49 two-beds — with 15 designated affordable under the city’s Affordable Requirement Ordinance, plus 25 car and 50 bike parking spaces, a club room, fitness room, and bike room. Developers North Park Ventures and SNS Realty Group secured $28.35 million in financing from Associated Bank and closed on the site for $6.25 million. (Urbanize Chicago)
Also: if you missed it, we covered the Plan Commission’s approval of the Cubs’ revised Camry lot expansion — up to 219 additional spaces near Racine and Grace, capped at 800 — in a separate post last week.
Weekend wrap
Open House Chicago returned Saturday and Sunday with more than 200 sites across 30 neighborhoods, and this year’s edition brought two new stops to the Lakeview area: Temple Sholom (3480 N. Lake Shore Drive), one of Chicago’s oldest Reform Jewish congregations (founded 1867) in a 1928 Byzantine- and Moorish-revival building with a large domed roof; and St. Pauls United Church of Christ (2335 N. Orchard St.), largely rebuilt after a devastating Christmas Day fire. Returning favorites included Lake View Presbyterian Church (3600 N. Broadway) and the floating Wild Mile eco-park. (PostGoo / Chicago Architecture Center)
Coming up
- Write Club Chicago launches its 17th season — Tuesday, October 20, 7:30–10:30 p.m. at GMan Tavern, 3740 N. Clark St. $25. (Choose Chicago)
- Trick-or-Treat on Southport — one week out: Monday, October 26, 4–7 p.m., Southport Avenue between Roscoe and Grace. Candy from participating businesses, games, crafts, music, photo ops, and inflatables, plus the pumpkin patch near Southport and Waveland (outside Coalfire Pizza, courtesy of Lakeview SSA 27) and the Gus Giordano Dance School “Thriller” performance at 5 p.m. near Southport and Cornelia. Free, rain or shine. (We covered the full details last month and last year’s event.)
