Currency Exchange Cafe

About

Currency Exchange Café is a café located in Chicago's Washington Park neighborhood owned by acclaimed contemporary artist Theaster Gates.

Story

Currency Exchange Café is a dynamic new restaurant featuring cuisine that embodies a modern mix of Mexican spice, American nostalgia, and Southern soul, and is located at 305 E. Garfield Boulevard in the Washington Park Neighborhood. The Café is the brainchild of Theaster Gates, community builder and one of our city’s most acclaimed contemporary artists, and is part of Mr. Gates’s broad commitment to supporting the proliferation of arts and culture on the Southside of Chicago.

As a nod to both the former use of the space and the free exchange of ideas that happens both in artistic and community collaboration, Gates created space that facilitates an exchange of true currency – intellectual and cultural contemplation. In his unmistakable artistic style, Gates fully renovated the site of the defunct “Write-on Currency Exchange” and transformed the 2,500 square foot site into a beautiful synergy of vintage and industrial aesthetics with a modern touch. While enjoying a dollar coffee and a flaky biscuit paired with fried catfish and homemade greens, patrons can utilize the Café as a place to spark dialogue, convene as a community, surf the internet and peruse the Café’s growing library of books and expansive 35mm slide collection of world art and architecture.

The Café seats 65 guests in the main dining area, spans two floors and the multi-purpose layout lends itself to an array of distinct spaces for private and semi-private events of all sizes as well as community programming.

Currency Exchange Café, located at 305 E. Garfield Boulevard, is open seven days a week. M-Sa 8a-4p and Su 10a-4p. Dinner service coming soon.