Monarch Community Market & Cafe is a gathering place for Rogers Park – centered around delicious food, real conversation, and the connections that make a neighborhood feel like home.
What if a cafe wasn’t just a place to grab coffee?
At Monarch Community Cafe, we are working to build a space for the community. We believe a cafe can be more then just a place to grab coffee, it can be a place to build deeper connections. And we want this to be your cafe; your go-to meet up place with friends, family and neighbors.
Monarch is more than a cafe. It’s a space to slow down, share stories, and foster something meaningful – powered by the strength of the Rogers Park community in Chicago.
We live in a neighborhood of over 55,000 people, and yet it’s easy to pass each other on the street without ever learning a name.
Why Monarch Community Cafe?
At Monarch, we believe food and coffee should do more than satisfy hunger. They should nourish connection. In the wake of COVID, many of us felt just how deep the ache for belonging had grown. The Surgeon General has even called loneliness an epidemic. We believe spaces like Monarch are part of the solution.
Intentional space
Spacious and open cafe with ample seating, cozy corners, inviting tables, and a kids’ play area.
Open when it matters
Monday–Saturday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., so you always have a dependable spot to meet up with friends, work, or unwind. Morning or evening.
Fresh, vibrant food
Sandwiches, salads, bowls, coffee, tea, and more – made fresh daily and served with care and purpose.
Rooted in Rogers Park
Family owned and operated by people who live here and love it.
“At the heart of Monarch is a simple belief: that community is built with one cup, one conversation, and one connection at a time.”
Lynn and Josh Marshall, Founders
Meet The Owners
Hi! We’re Lynn and Josh Marshall, partners in life and in this dream.
We’re longtime food service professionals who have shared a deep love for cafes – not just for what they serve, but for the stories they hold.
From training as a barista in Chicago to managing cafes and supporting small food businesses, we’ve spent years learning how to create spaces where people feel seen, welcomed, and connected.
We’ve called Rogers Park home since 2019, and we’re raising our two daughters here. Together as a family, we’re building Monarch to be an inviting and delicious gathering place for this community.
How You Can Join Us
We’re launching Monarch Community Cafe with your help, and there are a few simple, powerful ways to get involved.
Share our story
Tell your friends, repost on social, and help spread the word about what we’re building.
First coffee is on us
RSVP to reserve yours during our grand opening, June 8 to 13 at Monarch Community Market & Cafe.
Sign up for the Kaleidoscope
Our newsletter where we share behind-the-scenes stories, updates, and ways to support our launch.
