A STAGE FOR COMMUNITY

When we searched for a home for Magnífico, we knew we wanted to be rooted in a neighborhood — a place where coffee could bring people together. That’s why we host local DJs, musicians, bakers, artists, and vendors, turning our café into a stage for creativity.

From music and fashion to education and neighborhood events, every program extends our mission to bring people together through coffee and culture.

Our signature initiatives include DJ Coffee Sessions, Cafecito & Crates, our fashion partnership with the Art Universities in Chicago, and sustainability collaborations like Grounds for Your Garden. Scroll down to explore each one.

The Burplap Project

TERRAIN BIENNIAL PUBLIC ART FESTIVAL

Grow where you are planted,
our Sustainability program

MUSIC & COFFEE

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MUSIC & COFFEE

At Magnífico, music is part of our culture — a natural extension of community, connection, and good vibes. What started with a few friends sharing their love for music has grown into regular activations that bring people together over house music, vinyl, and live performance. Whether it’s DJs spinning on a Saturday or a jazz trio playing next to the roaster, our space turns into a stage for creativity, culture, and coffee.

OUR PROGRAMS

DJ Coffee Sessions

Every third Saturday, the sounds of house music take over our café from our resident crew, The Lost Loft, alongside rotating special guest DJs. It’s a laid-back, family-friendly tradition that blends great coffee with the energy of house music.

Cafecito & Crates

A neighborhood vinyl series featuring everything from established DJs to first-timers and up-and-coming selectors. Each guest brings a crate of records to share their sound and curate the vibe, while we serve up cafecitos.

Next to the Roaster

An intimate live music series featuring local and international musicians — from seasoned performers to first-timers — who set up right beside our roaster. It’s an open stage that brings live music into the heart of our café.

THE BURLAP PROJECT

Our burlap coffee bags get a second life through The Burlap Project — an ongoing collaboration that bridges coffee, fashion, and sustainability.

Since opening we’ve partner with Chicago fashion and design students, inviting them to transform our burlap sacks into new creations that reflect creativity, culture, and purpose. From fashion pieces to home goods, every project celebrates reuse and reimagination, giving our coffee materials a meaningful life beyond the roastery.

Current Partnership

Colombia x Columbia: Collaboration with fashion students exploring sustainability through design.

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC): Partnership with graduate fashion students pushing the boundaries of material innovation and creative reuse.

Grow Where You 
Are Planted (GWYAP)

Our sustainability program, Grounds for Your Garden, gives our coffee a life beyond the cup. Since opening our doors, we’ve worked to reuse and redistribute all of our spent coffee grounds and roasting byproducts within the Avondale community.

About 80% of our coffee grounds go to Aspira, a local school group that uses them in their greenhouse for composting and soil enrichment. Their program engages students, afterschool participants, and neighborhood volunteers—turning coffee waste into hands-on learning and greener gardens.

The remaining grounds are shared with neighbors, gardeners, and urban farmers for use in compost systems, personal gardens, and small farms. We also share our coffee chaff, a natural byproduct of roasting, which finds new purpose as mulch, pest repellent, or even chicken coop bedding.

It’s one of the ways we’re working to reduce waste while supporting sustainability, growth, and community right here at home.

POP-UPS & GATHERINGS

At Magnífico, connection is at the heart of everything we do — it’s a place where creativity and community meet. Beyond coffee, our space transforms into a hub for culture, collaboration, and celebration.

We’ve hosted everything from art installations with the Terrain Biennial to storytelling circles with Latinas Acting Up, literary releases with Maldina Publishing, and small business pop-ups like Lefty’s Bagels and Unreleased Grounds.

Whether it’s live music, local food, or neighborhood artists taking over the café for a day, each event brings new energy to Avondale — a reflection of the people, stories, and creativity that make our community feel like home.

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