Dayglow Was My Coffee Subscription Before It Was A Local Coffee Shop

I knew Dayglow before I knew Chicago. They were introduced to me years before I moved here as a subscription coffee service with a very specific point of view — Nordic-style roasting, which means lighter roasts that prioritize brightness, acidity, and the natural flavor of the bean over any roast character whatsoever. That style of coffee is my preferred style of coffee. I have been a subscriber for years. Still am.

So moving to the city where Dayglow actually lives felt like a small personal victory. A coffee shop I had been ordering from across the country was now something I could walk into. That kind of thing either meets expectations or quietly disappoints. Dayglow met them completely.

The shop looks exactly like the coffee tastes. Minimal. Brutalist concrete everywhere, a long uninterrupted bar where everything is built flush into a single continuous surface. A small window cut into the bar frames the pastry selection, which is short by design and quite good. A few croissants, a handful of other things worth eating. The shelf is never overflowing. That is a choice and it is the right one.