A Miami-based coffee chain known for its Italian-inspired menu is planning to open a new location at 529 Ogden Avenue in Downers Grove, bringing cortados, Neapolitan-style espresso con panna, and gluten-free drink options to the north side of town. Franchisee Moiz Hussain is behind the project and hopes to have doors open by the end of 2026 or early 2027.
Qargo Coffee, which is expanding around Chicagoland, is based in Miami and describes the new shop as bringing its “refined Italian coffee experience to a well-established suburban community just outside Chicago,” according to a company website post cited by WhatNow. The Downers Grove location sits north of downtown, a short drive west of the Downers Plaza shopping center, and near existing fast-food and quick-service spots including Popeyes, Dunkin' and Five Guys, per the same report.
Beyond espresso drinks, the menu will lean into specialty Italian offerings. Patch reported in August that the Downers Grove menu will include Crema di Caffe, a whipped espresso cream, along with Black Cherry Cold Brew, salmone mattina breakfast sandwiches, and prosciutto royale served on ciabatta or focaccia, alongside daily-baked Italian pastries, according to Patch. The broader Qargo lineup also includes cortados, caffe americanos, iced lattes, single espresso macchiatos, cold brews, energy smoothies and boba teas, per WhatNow's reporting.
Interior Design and Permitting Timeline
The 529 Ogden Avenue shop will feature a counter-focused interior layout built with durable materials and clean architectural lines meant to optimize service flow, according to a Qargo Coffee press release. Hussain is currently waiting on city permitting approvals before construction can begin, WhatNow reports, meaning the timeline for the late 2026 or early 2027 opening still hinges on that process moving forward.
A Franchisee With Regional Ambitions
Hussain isn't stopping at Downers Grove. He's also behind a separate Qargo Coffee project planned for 4 W. Rand Road in Arlington Heights, which is expected to open soon. That Arlington Heights project received village approvals in October 2025 to redevelop a former 4,200-square-foot Olson Rug store into a Qargo Coffee location featuring a drive-thru, seating for 70, conference rooms, and a tree canopy art piece, according to the Daily Herald.
The Ogden Avenue corridor itself has become something of a battleground for coffee chains chasing Chicagoland drive-thru traffic. The Downers Grove Village Council unanimously approved a Dutch Bros Coffee drive-thru development at 1205-1219 Ogden Avenue this month, overriding an earlier commission denial after local debate over traffic safety near Herrick Middle School, Patch reported.
Italian Roots and a Regulatory Past
Qargo Coffee's Italian identity is backed by a national partnership with Lavazza, the 128-year-old Italian coffee company, according to Barchart. The chain was founded in Miami by Samir Shenouda and Bernadette Bastorous, opened its first retail storefront in 2022, and reported having roughly 90 locations in development across 16 states by late 2025, per WhatNow's earlier reporting on the company's national growth.
That expansion hasn't come without regulatory scrutiny. The Federal Trade Commission filed a civil complaint in October 2024 charging Qargo Coffee and its founders with violating federal Franchise Rule regulations, resulting in a proposed order requiring payment of $30,000, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Restaurant Business reported that the complaint accused the company of failing to provide required franchise disclosure documents, omitting a founder's history with the banned franchise BurgerIM, and falsely claiming prospective stores could open within four months.
Qargo Coffee resolved the FTC action under a stipulated order instituting enhanced Franchise Rule disclosure controls. The settlement did not restrict its franchising operations or SBA financing, according to information about the action. The chain has continued pursuing varied retail formats across the region, including a shop operating inside the Meijer grocery store on East Boughton Road in Bolingbrook, Illinois, per local listings.
Qargo Coffee has also been expanding outside the Midwest. In April, the chain opened its first Las Vegas shop at 3900 Paradise Road, part of the same broader growth push now bringing the brand to Downers Grove.
