Help Me Bring Pink Chi Café to Life ☕

Hi! I’m the founder of Pink Chi Café, and this dream has been years in the making.

Coffee has been a huge part of my life for a long time. I spent nearly 10 years working at Starbucks as both a barista and manager, and throughout those years, I always imagined what it would be like to someday open a coffee shop of my own.

Pink Chi Café is my chance to finally turn that dream into something real—but I want it to be about much more than serving great coffee.

☕ A Little City Energy in the Suburbs

My vision is to bring some of the creativity, energy, and sense of community you find in city cafés to the Chicago suburbs.

I envision Pink Chi as a place where you can grab an amazing cup of coffee, meet a friend, work on something creative, take a cute photo, discover new music, or simply hang out somewhere that feels welcoming.

And yes… there will be a LOT of pink.

Pink Chi will be fun, creative, photo-worthy and unapologetically itself.

Coffee With a Purpose

Music has always been a big part of my life and my family’s lives, and that’s something I want to carry into Pink Chi.

One of the things I’m most passionate about is giving up-and-coming singers, songwriters, and local musicians a platform to share their music.

There are incredibly talented artists who just need somewhere to be heard.

My goal is to create a safe, supportive environment where emerging musicians can perform original music, connect with new listeners, and grow their audience—while our community gets the chance to discover artists they may never have heard otherwise.

I envision intimate live performances, singer-songwriter nights, open mics, and other community events becoming part of what makes Pink Chi special.

So… Why “Pink Chi”?

Pink Chi was inspired by my Chihuahua, Maui, who has been by my side through so many chapters of my life.

Combine a Chihuahua with my love for everything pink, and Pink Chi was born. ♡

You’ll see little pieces of Maui throughout the brand, from the logo and merchandise to dog-friendly touches I hope to incorporate into the future café.

Starting Before the Doors Even Open

I’m not waiting until I have a storefront to start building Pink Chi.

I’m beginning with my own line of Pink Chi coffee, including:

Pink Sunrise — Light Roast

Bright, fruity and citrus-forward.

Pink Praline — Medium Roast

Smooth and balanced with praline and nutty tasting notes.

And I’m continuing to develop the rest of the Pink Chi coffee collection.

I’m also building the brand through merchandise, local events and farmers markets so people can experience Pink Chi while I work toward opening the physical café.

Every bag of coffee sold, every person who wears the merch, every share, and every donation gets this dream a little closer to becoming a real place.

Where Your Support Goes

Opening an independent café requires a significant investment. Funds raised through this GoFundMe will help with expenses involved in turning Pink Chi from a concept into a physical café, including a future location and buildout, commercial coffee equipment, furniture and décor, permits and licensing, initial inventory, signage, technology, and other startup costs.

My long-term goal is to create a sustainable business that can stand on its own—not simply fund the entire café through donations. This fundraiser is one piece of a much larger plan that includes selling Pink Chi coffee and merchandise, saving and reinvesting into the business, participating in local markets, and exploring additional financing as the concept grows.

Even if you can’t donate, sharing this fundraiser or supporting Pink Chi by purchasing coffee or merchandise makes a difference.

☕ One Cup — and One Song — at a Time

Pink Chi Café brings together so many things that have shaped my life: coffee, music, creativity, community, animals, and a love for creating spaces where people can be themselves.

I’m starting small, but I’m dreaming big.

I hope that one day we’ll be able to look around a real Pink Chi Café—coffee brewing, a new artist performing in the corner, people laughing and taking pictures, Maui’s little face somewhere on the wall—and remember that it started right here.

Thank you for believing in my dream and for being part of the beginning.

Pink Chi is more than coffee. It’s a dream I’m building one cup—and one song—at a time. ♡

Espresso Yourself ♡