Streetwear Icon Joe Freshgoods Is Back With Every Now And Then, A Store And Cafe In West Town

WEST TOWN — “This is 20 years of hard work.”

That’s how Joe Freshgoods — real name Joe Robinson — this week described his new store in West Town as he reflected on his two decades of designing sneakers and apparel that have turned him into a Chicago streetwear icon.

Every Now and Then, 1843 W. Chicago Ave., opened earlier this month in West Town.

The sleek, light-filled space sells sneakers, T-shirts and apparel designed by Freshgoods and others — and it also has a DJ booth, designer furniture and a full-service cafe, named Josephine’s for Freshgoods’ grandmother.

It’s the latest in a long string of businesses, collaborations and community initiatives that Freshgoods has helmed in Chicago and around the world.

But the space — which is also filled with paintings and other art from Freshgoods’ friends, plus items reflecting the history of Black Chicago — defies easy categorization.

Freshgoods told Block Club he’s tired of the phrase “third space,” but his new store is in many ways just that: a place reflecting his taste and lifestyle that will hopefully become a gathering hub for Chicago’s creative community.

“Obviously there are one zillion cafes and there are one zillion retail spaces, but there’s only one me,” Freshgoods said. “In terms of world building and expanding what Joe Freshgoods looks like from a community perspective, a retail perspective, and slowly started getting into food and beverage — this is the next stage in my life.”

Freshgoods has been pursuing a dream of designing sneakers and streetwear since he was a young teenager growing up on the West Side.

He began building his brand by hosting pop-ups in Chicago and later around the world, selling sneakers, T-shirts and other items that eventually drew the attention of major companies, athletes and celebrities.

One breakthrough moment was his collaboration with New Balance at the 2020 NBA All-Star Game in Chicago. Chance The Rapper has also frequently worn Freshgoods’ hoodies, and the designer gained attention for his “Thank U Obama” collection that sold out shortly after former President Barack Obama left office.

For about eight years, Freshgoods also ran the River West streetwear store Fat Tiger Workshop with fellow designers Terrell “Rello” Jones, Des Owusu and Vic Lloyd. It closed in early 2022.

Freshgoods has since worked with many different brands, and remains a close collaborator with New Balance, with whom he dropped a new sneaker last week at Every Now and Then.

The store is stocked with sneakers, designed by Freshgoods and others, and also carries apparel from designers all over the world that can’t be found elsewhere in Chicago, he said.

“A lot of collaborations and a lot of the partnerships I have with people around the world, I’ll be bringing some of that stuff in,” he said. “I’m not going to be carrying stuff that people have in Chicago. It will be a lot of smaller, up-and-coming designers that I really believe in.”

In the back of Every Now and Then, Josephine’s is serving up Metric Coffee with a growing menu Freshgoods said is inspired by the summers he spent as a kid visiting his grandmother in Alabama.

Its initial offerings include coffee and espresso plus peach iced tea, a house lemonade, and matcha. Pastries are also available.

Freshgoods said the Josephine’s concept is still evolving, and he plans to add menu items down the line. There’s also a back patio where people can hang out when the weather’s nice.

“It’s going to be very elevated, [with a] Southern twist but from a Midwest perspective. It’s really just a kid from Chicago that spent summers in Alabama,” Freshgoods said. “What does it smell like? What does it taste like? How does the tea sit brewing in the sun all day? Making the lemonade from scratch and all that stuff. It’s bigger than a cafe.”

Josephine’s also has a section dedicated to collectable knick-knacks, snacks and Chicago memorabilia, some of which pay homage to Black culture and history.

Not everything is for sale — for example, a Pullman Porter cap on display — but customers can buy candy like Lemonheads and Now and Laters as well as giardiniera from J.P. Graziano’s and Harold’s mild sauce.

“When people come from out of town, they want a taste of Chicago, they can come to my spot, get a coffee, get old school Chicago candy, and feel like they visited Chicago,” Freshgoods said.

Launching Every Now and Then in West Town is something of a full circle moment for Freshgoods; he worked at a nearby Subway as a teenager and spent years selling streetwear in the larger Wicker Park area.

It also doesn’t hurt that the neighborhood of late has attracted some of Chicago’s buzziest businesses.

“I just feel really good about West Town,” Freshgoods said. “Every hot new restaurant or bakery is opening up on this block.”

One thing that Every Now and Then isn’t is a formal event space. Freshgoods said it won’t be available for people to rent out, although he plans to curate his own parties and events there while welcoming in artists and creatives for more informal gatherings.

The communal aspect of building out a permanent space to showcase his work and vision — rather than just hosting another pop-up — was a driving force behind Freshgoods’ decision to open up on Chicago Avenue, he said.

“It’s really important that I show a lot of these young people that you can do it, too. You can do it on your terms. It might take a long time, the journey might not look pretty, and that’s kind of what this all represents,” he said.

“The clothes are going to do what they do. Either you like them or you don’t like them. The shoes, you like it or you don’t like it. The coffee, you like it or you don’t like it. You can’t really deny the space. You can’t really deny the 20-plus years I put into this.”

Every Now and Then is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays. Josephine’s is open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. The store may soon open on Wednesdays, too, Freshgoods said this week.