Wells Street is getting its grain bowls back.
FARE, the Chicago-born fast-casual spot built around seasonal bowls and all-day coffee, is set to open a new Old Town storefront at 868 N. Wells Street this summer. The move brings the brand back to Wells Street and stretches its pickup-and-coffee footprint across the Near North, giving neighbors another option for breakfast sandwiches, yogurt parfaits and smoothies that have turned the concept into a downtown staple.
The locations page on FARE lists "Old Town - 868 North Wells Street" and tags the site as "Coming Summer 2026." The company also highlights additional upcoming openings across Chicago and in Charlotte, signaling a broader expansion push beyond its original core.
According to What Now Chicago, the Old Town outpost will land on the west side of N. Wells near Layla & Ringo’s Cafe, DJ’s Great Room and Petite Edith, tucked into the base of a new luxury apartment building. The outlet also notes that FARE’s first footprint was a downtown food-hall counter and that owners Kasia Bednarz and Britni de Leon have been steadily growing the concept since meeting while working in Chicago restaurants.
What to Expect at the Counter
The Old Town menu is expected to stick to FARE’s core playbook: seasonal bowls and plates, an abbreviated breakfast lineup and an all-day coffee bar. The breakfast side includes Greek yogurt parfaits, egg wraps and sandwiches, paired with smoothies and baked sweets.
Many items are offered gluten-free, and the company emphasizes scratch-made dressings and roasted vegetables on its menu page at FARE. In other words, it is very much a grab-and-go setup built for people who want something quick that does not feel like a compromise.
Founders and the Return to Wells Street
What Now Chicago reports that co-owners Kasia Bednarz and Britni de Leon met in 2010 while working in a Chicago restaurant and later launched FARE from a tiny downtown food-hall counter. That background feeds into the brand’s stated mission: to make eating well "effortless, delicious, and something you actually look forward to." The Old Town opening is essentially a homecoming for the concept on Wells Street, this time with its own storefront instead of a shared counter.
Where It Fits in Old Town
Old Town’s mix of new residential development and nearby nightlife has created steady morning and lunchtime demand, which makes the Wells Street address a natural fit for a fast-casual, grab-and-go spot. Sitting between River North and the Gold Coast, the location is poised to pull in both office workers and neighborhood residents looking for a quick coffee or a build-your-own bowl on the way to or from everything else happening along the corridor.
FARE has been teasing its return to Wells Street on the company’s social pages, and the owners say they will share an official opening date as the build-out moves along. For updates and behind-the-scenes photos, the brand directs followers to its page on LinkedIn.
