New Sound Cafe, a family-run operation breathing fresh life into a long-vacant gospel record store, is now pouring coffee in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. The owners kept vintage details like the penny-tile floor and original signage, then layered on an onsite micro-roaster, indoor seating, and plans for a back patio. The cafe serves coffee, tea, pastries, and sandwiches, and says it will funnel profits back into neighborhood charities, giving West Side residents a new, noncorporate spot to gather.
As reported by CBS News Chicago, the space leans into the building’s musical roots, with a soundtrack built around gospel and soul. In the CBS segment, the owners talk about restoring the worn-down storefront and opening a cafe geared toward neighbors instead of national chains.
From Gospel Records To Community Cafe
Local reporting traces the storefront back to New Sound Gospel Records & Tapes, a beloved gospel shop whose presence is still visible in the space. In a profile by The Culture, co-owner Andrew Follett explains that he and his wife, Hannah, spent months renovating what had become a shell of a building after years of vacancy, carefully salvaging historic elements to anchor the new cafe in its past.
Community-First Mission
The cafe's own website lays out a community-focused mission built around more than just caffeine, according to New Sound Cafe. The plan includes onsite micro-roasting, a partnership with local bakers, and a pledge to donate profits to Austin-area nonprofits. The site also notes that the owners aim to prioritize hiring from the neighborhood and to open an upstairs room for community meetings and events.
Part Of A West Side Coffee Uptick
The opening comes as several small cafes have debuted across the West Side in recent months, part of a broader push to create neighborhood gathering places outside the downtown core. Austin Weekly News points to other recent coffee spots and owners who frame their businesses as long-term investments in the community rather than strictly commercial ventures.
What To Expect
The owners have launched a membership program called the "Gold Record Club" and roast beans in small batches to keep quality dialed in, details first reported by The Culture. For now, the cafe keeps mostly daytime hours with select evenings running later, and the team plans to host small musical events and meetings as the back patio and upstairs space come into regular use.
For menu details, current hours, and a calendar of upcoming events, New Sound Cafe maintains an updated site, while the CBS News Chicago video offers a quick tour inside the former record shop turned neighborhood cafe.
