LOGAN SQUARE — A busy Milwaukee Avenue block has two new local businesses, an Argentinian mate cafe and a Chinese restaurant.
Mate & Company at 2778 N. Milwaukee Ave. opened last week, and Chengdu Impression, a Sichuan cuisine restaurant with other city locations, opened at the former Chiya Chai spot, 2770 N. Milwaukee Ave., last month.
Both businesses add variety to the already bustling Logan Square block that’s home to many local restaurants and cafes. Here is more on each concept.
Mate & Company: Steeped In Latin Tradition
The owners of Avondale’s La Nonna restaurant, 3400 N. Lawndale Ave., are behind the new mate all-day cafe, which opened over the weekend and has already been busy, said co-owner Mariana Rossi.
The business takes over the former Buzz Cafe, which closed in 2022 after six years due to the pandemic. The spot has been vacant ever since, with For Lease signs on both of its doors.
A salmon and cream cheese toast and an iced mate with mango flavoring are some of the menu items available at Mate & Company coffee shop, 2778 N. Milwaukee Ave., seen Sept. 1, 2026 in Logan Square. Credit: Ariel Parrella-Aureli/Block Club Chicago
Alongside her husband, Jose Rivero, and their longtime friends, Marcela Pricolo and Vincenzo Mendrano, the four have cooked up a mate concept dear to their hearts. The Argentinian and Italian owners grew up drinking the caffeine-rich herbal drink typical in Argentinian culture — sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter, depending on the region, but always with friends and family, Rossi said.
“Mate has many benefits, it’s energizing, it’s a digestive … and with our cultural history with mate, its growth into other cultures, more people are drinking it now,” she said in Spanish.
Mate is brewed by steeping dried yerba mate leaves in hot water and served in a special cup with a metal straw known as a bombilla. What started out as an experiment of sorts with adding mate to the La Nonna menu has now blossomed into its own concept, Rossi said.
She and Rivero, who are from Argentina, added mate to La Nonna’s cafe menu recently to see if it would stick with people. And it did.
“Seeing this mate boom, already so many people have come to visit, so people are more interested in mate these days,” Rossi said.
The owners credit some of the more mainstream mate boom to Argentinian soccer star, Leo Messi, who is known to drink mate and carry around his bombilla on and off the field and who gave the cultural drink more eyeballs earlier this summer during the World Cup.
The back seating area at Mate & Company coffee shop, 2778 N. Milwaukee Ave., seen Sept. 1, 2026 in Logan Square. Credit: Ariel Parrella-Aureli/Block Club Chicago
The couple, who have lived in Logan Square for close to 20 years, knew they wanted to open a mate-focused cafe close to home. When Rivero drove by the Milwaukee location earlier this year, the business owners decided to give it a try, Rossi said.
With an earthy, mountainous and nature-themed coffee shop, Mate & Company is a place for community that highlights Argentinian culture and tradition, she said.
“We are really excited to be here … and to add to Logan Square,” she said.
Mate & Company has more than just the herbal drinks. The cafe has other coffee and cold drinks available, a lunch food menu and a variety of Latin pastries made at La Nonna. The owners soon plan to launch an Argentinian wine menu with charcuterie boards available in the evenings once they get their liquor license from the city.
The cafe is open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. everyday now, though hours might change depending on customer feedback.
Chengdo Impression at 2770 N. Milwaukee Ave. seen open on Aug. 30, 2026 in Logan Square. Credit: Ariel Parrella-Aureli/Block Club Chicago
Chengdu Impression Opens 4th Location
Across the street from Mate & Company, diners are enjoying the latest restaurant to open on the strip. Chengdu Impression opened its fourth restaurant in August, taking over Chiya Chai, which closed in May after a decade.
The Chengdo Impression owners were quick to move on the spot, adding more dining tables and changing the bar counter, though much of the interior looks the same. Chengdu Impression has been a Lincoln Park staple 2013 and also has locations in Edgewater and Wicker Park.
The Chinese restaurant has been called one of the city’s best Sichuan restaurants by Eater Chicago. The restaurant has items popular in Chengdu, the capital city of the Chinese province of Sichuan, which is known for its spicy food.
The local chain has popular dishes like their Zhong dumplings, Dry Chili Chicken, fried rice, Dan Dan noodles and more.
“As the fourth addition to Chengdu Impression, this new spot represents our continued dedication to bringing the best and most authentic Sichuan-style food to Chicago,” owners wrote in announcing the restaurant on social media.
Owner Ryan Hu said he’d been looking to expand on the Northwest Side after opening the Wicker Park restaurant in 2021 but no spaces were available. Finding the large storefront, already outfitted as a restaurant, was perfect for the business’ needs, he said. State license records show a license was activated in May for the new spot. The spot is BYOB for now as owners wait for liquor license approval, though it will still be BYOB when the license is approved, Hu said.
“We will have a dim sum station at the bar and use the back room for more dining and private events,” Hu said Wednesday.
The Logan Square location is open for dinner 4-9:30 p.m. everyday and 11:30-2:30 p.m. for lunch Friday-Sunday.
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