Haven Cafe is the name of a new beverage-forward all-day cafe slated to open in the Nova Apartment Building at 1237 N. Van Buren St. on the corner of Van Buren and Juneau. And – if all goes well – it could open as soon as late January.

Behind the new cafe is Jeff Kinder an industry veteran who has spent nearly 20 years working in and managing bars like Bryant’s, The Jazz Estate and Art Bar. The idea for Haven came to him after he stepped down from management and returned to the industry as a bartender. 

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“As I worked, I found myself looking around at how places operated and the success of the styles at places that I liked,” he says.  “I realized that I really had an interest in creating a space where anyone could go, but not feel pressured. Haven is really about creating a third space, a public house – a place for people to just be.”

Kinder says he’s always been attracted to the buzz of the Lower East Side. “It’s densely populated. You have MSOE nearby… and when I found this space, I just loved the windows. I knew I wanted something that wasn’t just an evening attraction… something that was more daytime-oriented. And this space was perfect for that.” 

What to expect

The Haven Cafe space is designed to be multi-faceted. It will showcase a coffee bar near the entrance that will offer Stone Creek Coffee and a full menu of coffee and espresso drinks, along with breakfast sandwiches, fruit, bakery and beverages like smoothies.

As the day moves along, the menu will evolve to include lunch and dinner offerings including panini filled with beef, peppers, onions and provolone; ham swiss, mustard, pickles and bacon; or eggplant, peppers, onions, provolone and zhoug.  

There will also be house-roasted potatoes with parmesan and housemade white bean spread with focaccia. Options for toppings are likely to include roasted garlic, tapenade, giardiniera and chili oil.  Meanwhile, desserts will include pies from Bakehouse 23. 

A full bar constructed by Curt Gest of Gest Built LLC/The Wheelhouse, will wrap around the northeast corner of the space, linking up with bar rail-style seating along the cafe’s expansive front windows.

The bar will offer cocktails and zero-proof offerings beginning in the afternoon during the week (and all day on weekends). Kinder says he’s partnered with Bittercube alum and industry veteran Cameron McKenzie, who will manage the craft beverage program, which will showcase riffs on classic and modern cocktails made with housemade syrups and infusions and utilize fun, creative garnishes.

The menu will change out seasonally allowing for frozen drinks during the summer months and hot drinks in the winter and offerings like bloody marys, mimosas and bellinis will be on tap for the weekends. The bar will also offer a selection of beer and wine. Zero proof options will include the option for drinks infused with CBD and THC.

In between the bar and the coffee counter, there will be a lounge area with soft seating as well as a collection of communal tables where guests can gather to work, socialize or just hang out. Benches will be built by Mark Sprott of Bulldog, who will also build the back bar for the space.

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Kinder describes the aesthetic for the space as “sorta retro-boho" with features like large overhead spherical pendant lighting made from jute twine and a color palette for the space that embraces various shades of green, orange and yellow.

A movie screen will be installed on the north wall, which will be used to display art and potentially broadcast select entertainment. There will also be space for live music and DJs in the space.  Kinder says that, in addition to the cafe’s regular hours, he’d like to collaborate with others to host chef dinners, pop-ups and other events as well. 

If all goes well, Haven could open by the end of January. Once open, the cafe’s hours are likely to be Tuesday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to midnight, Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Closed on Mondays).