The Understudy Coffee and Books

About Us

The Understudy is a theatre bookstore and specialty coffee shop catering to Chicago’s vibrant theatre community and creative types of all kinds. Owned and operated by two passionate theatre artists, The Understudy is dedicated to fostering discovery, community, and collaboration every day. With over 3000 titles on our shelves and a breadth of coffee knowledge behind our bar, there’s always something worth uncovering at The Understudy. For more information, visit theunderstudy.com, or email us at hello@theunderstudy.com. Follow us on instagram @theunderstudychi