PORTAGE PARK — Cafe owners Chris and Jacqueline Murphy are making some business changes at Six Corners after months of planning.
The owners of Junebug Cafe at 4944 W. Irving Park Road. are moving the business a few blocks up to 4042 N. Milwaukee Ave., the storefront that formerly housed Fannie’s Cafe and Frunchroom.
The spot has a bigger kitchen that’s ready to go and will allow the business to make all of its products there, said Chris Murphy, who’s been preparing the location with minimal changes for an early August opening.
Credit: Ariel Parrella-Aureli/Block Club Chicago
It’s also a full circle moment of sorts, since the spot has been on his radar for years, he said.
“Originally, even before Fannie’s came in, we wanted to get on the spot because we thought Milwaukee would be better,” Murphy said. “But in the long run, Irving Park had a lot more foot traffic so it really worked out. We’re really happy there but we needed more of a kitchen since we are adding more to the menu.”
The spot has sat vacant since Fannie’s closed in 2021.
Meanwhile, the owners plan to open a sandwich shop called Murphy’s Sandwich Shop off the Six in the Irving Park storefront that Junebug is vacating. The idea behind the sandwich business is to increase lunch options in the area and further put down roots in Portage Park, where they live, Murphy said.
Murphy’s Sandwich Shop will have classic deli subs such as tuna, corned beef on rye, old-school paninis, reubens, kids sandwiches and other classic sandwiches. The location will have a small selection of coffee and teas still.
“We are just classic, good sandwiches. … We see there is a need for it so we [decided] to try it out,” he said.
Credit: Hannah Alani / Block Club Chicago
The sandwich business’ name is a small nod to Chris Murphy’s dad’s first restaurant in the suburbs, called Murphy’s off the Mall. Before opening Junebug in Portage Park in 2018, Murphy was manager at Poor Phil’s Bar and Grill, also owned by his father, in Oak Park.
The move also means that the cafe’s second location in West Town, which opened in 2021 and is where all of its food is currently made, will close at the end of the month so the couple can focus only on one part of the city, he said.
The couple have enjoyed expanding into West Town but made the decision to consolidate the cafes because their West Town landlord raised the rent by $1,000 and they wanted to be closer to home and their new business, he said.
The sandwich spot is being remodeled and will open in the middle of August. Both Junebugs plan to close at the end of July and the owners will take a few days to switch everything to the Milwaukee location, pending the new business license, he said.
Credit: Ariel Parrella-Aureli/Block Club Chicago
The owners are excited to add to the burgeoning Six Corners strip along Milwaukee and be close to other business they admire, like Community Tavern.
The move will also bring a bigger Junebug menu and dinners on Friday and Saturday evenings, Murphy said.
Junebug offers a New Orleans French Creole menu with a twist since Chris Murphy’s wife’s family is from northern Louisiana.
With crawfish season coming up, the owners plan to visit New Orleans and bring back some family recipes on how to make the Southern cuisine.
“Hopefully we can bring it back here and whether it’s gonna be a Junebug or another [dinner concept], we’ll see,” he said.
Murphy’s Sandwich Spot will be open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. everyday. Junebug will keep its regular hours of 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Dinner hours on Friday and Saturday will extend to 8 p.m. for now.
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Portage Park's Junebug Cafe Relocating To Bigger Space At Six Corners, Closing West Town Spot - Block Club Chicago
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