Pro tips

This downtown Evanston location of the chain bakery is right off the campus of Northwestern University, and aside from a university lunch crowd, is a comfortable and uncrowded place to work with big windows. Relatively slow wi-fi, but works fine for web browsing—not sufficient for video meetings. It's not always on the menu, but you can get the bagel-breakfast sandwich with refillable coffee mug for here together for $5. Coffee isn't pour-over quality, but is really solid. Parking nearby is going to be paid street parking.