The Chicago Park District announced that the concession application for a new café at the Humboldt Park Boathouse has been approved. The venue, to be called Cafe Valera, will be operated by the team behind North Pond restaurant in Lincoln Park, which already runs a park‑district concession.
What the café will offer
Cafe Valera is planned as an all‑day spot. The menu will include pastries, coffee, and a range of handheld foods such as empanadas, sandwiches, wings, Cubano sliders and hot dogs. Chef César Murillo said the operation will emphasize sustainability, sourcing ingredients from local farmers and businesses.
Beer garden and licensing
A beer garden is also part of the proposal. While the owners must still apply for a city liquor license, no application has been filed yet, according to the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.
Construction and timeline
The boathouse’s interior kitchen has been idle since the previous café closed in 2020. The new team will renovate the space, adding new flooring, wall finishes, equipment, HVAC and lighting. The design of the kitchen will remain largely unchanged, but the surrounding veranda and patio will host chairs, tables, lighting and flowers for indoor and outdoor dining, as well as a small stage for live music.
Park District spokesperson Irene Tostado said the vendor is still completing repairs and therefore cannot provide a firm opening date. The original plan to open by early summer was delayed after the concession application took several months to review.
Community impact
Neighbors have expressed optimism that the café will bring more foot traffic and activity to the underused boathouse. The addition of swan‑boat rentals on the lagoon, which resumed earlier this year, already draws visitors through Labor Day.
North Pond’s owners have signed a five‑year lease, the longest term available under the district’s concession program. Their stated goal is to host pop‑up markets, small music shows and collaborations with local chefs to make the boathouse a neighborhood gathering place.
Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.
