Even though it sits on a quiet corner in Bridgeport, CTRL Z Café is making Chicago’s South Side buzz with Philippine-grown coffee. Zandro Zafra started the business in 2019 as a small roasting project inside a city incubator. The pandemic slowed many cafés, yet he kept roasting beans from the Philippines. In 2023 the initial real shop opened at 2911 S. Loomis Ave. Zafra picked Bridgeport because it’s the neighborhood he knows best.
Bridgeport’s quiet corner erupts with Philippine coffee as Zandro brings beans—survived pandemic loss, bloomed 2023
The coffee menu is short and proud of the Philippines. It features the rare liberica bean and Spanish Latte mixed with condensed milk. Visitors also buy pan de coco and purple ube crinkles baked in small batches.
A tiny 400-square-foot room uses warm wood tones, stump stools, and a slim window counter. These choices create quick chats among customers.
Zafra calls the shop a lab. Baristas test drinks and invite wholesale clients to sip new ideas. The café opens Tuesday through Sunday during breakfast and early lunch; open hours span 7 a.m.–3 p.m. Tuesday–Friday and 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Saturday–Sunday. Neighbors wave through the open door, and nearby shop owners often drop in. This approach shows strong community engagement and proves the value of coffee innovations shaped by Filipino heritage.
The Rebuild Foundation’s residency program later connected Zafra with even more South Side makers. Together they share tools and tips, helping each other stretch limited budgets.
An additional spot, Mano Modern Cafe, followed in 2023, keeping the same spirit. The new corner still feels like family, a sign of quiet expansion without losing the neighborhood link.
