Qargo Coffee blends cozy with on-the-go convenience in plans for Arlington Heights cafe

Coffee shops may have developed a reputation as stay-all-day places to huddle with a laptop and latte, but recent trends suggest cafe spaces are shrinking in favor of drive-throughs for busy suburbanites on the go.

A new coffee shop coming to Arlington Heights hopes to serve both clienteles.

Qargo Coffee, a Miami-based chain that touts its menu of “Italy’s Finest Coffee & Pastries,” is set to brew its first cup at 4 W. Rand Road in Arlington Heights in early 2026.

The single-story, 4,200-square-foot building — a former Olson Rug & Flooring store — will be the Arlington Heights-based franchisee’s second standalone location in the Chicago suburbs, following the planned December opening of a cafe in Orland Park.

The first two coffee shops opened within Meijer stores in Bolingbrook, with two more in-store locations opening soon in St. Charles and Elgin, according to Moiz Hussain, chief operating officer of Tamkeen LLC, the local franchisee.

The company received village board approval this week of a special-use permit for a restaurant at the Arlington Plaza Shopping Center, including permission to add a drive-through lane with menu board and speaker around the former rug store.

Dana Auman, the project architect from Schaumburg-based The HOH Group, explained to board members what the drive-through would mean for convenience (enough room for 14 queuing vehicles) and improved one-way site circulation (plenty of space for fire and garbage trucks to turn), he said. The building will get new signage, a fresh paint job, and trees and bushes, too.

But Hussain seemed more excited about what’s being planned inside: open seating and study spaces for 70 people, and multi-purpose conference rooms patrons can reserve for group meetings and gatherings. It’s all centered around a tree canopy art piece to create an inviting space that’s “a little bit modern, a little bit rustic,” Hussain said.

More spots to meet and study inside is “what we’re trying to bring back,” Hussain said.

“(We want) people to come in and enjoy the space, and that’s why we built it out with a lot of seating,” he said.

Qargo’s coffee offerings include espresso, cortados, lattes; a range of iced drinks like cold brews, frappes, energy coolers and smoothies; and regular and boba teas. Coffee beans come from 13 countries, then are roasted in Italy and shipped here, Hussain said.

Menu items are both sweet and savory for breakfast and lunch, including: egg patties, turkey bacon sandwiches, croissants, bagels, muffins, cheesecakes, tiramisu and carrot cake — much of which comes from Italy and France, Hussain noted.

Arlington Heights trustees praised the prospect of a new business filling a long-vacant outlot on a major retail corridor and providing a new place to gather in that part of town.

“This will go a long way in beautifying that area. That shopping center has been around for a very long time, and this will really help,” said Trustee Robin LaBedz. “Especially having those meeting rooms is nice.”

Once renovations are complete and the cafe opens its doors, daily hours are planned from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.