There wasn't, so Sapstein and his longtime partner Derek Cortelyou opened one themselves in the summer of 2009, turning a sales objection into an actual neighborhood fixture. Sixteen years later it's still standing, with industrial-styled decor and a menu that Southside Weekly has singled out for a bacon-egg-and-cheese good enough to cure homesickness for displaced New Yorkers. The crowd is a genuine mix — University of Chicago students grabbing coffee between classes, longtime Woodlawn residents, and a steady stream of regulars who've made it their default workspace.
Hours run early, opening at 6am on weekdays to catch the before-class rush, and stretching into the evening most nights. A sister location once operated in River North but has since closed — this Woodlawn original is the one still running, confirmed open via a City of Chicago health inspection pass as recently as September 2025. With the Obama Presidential Center reshaping the neighborhood's future just blocks away, Robust has quietly become one of the few local businesses that predates the current wave of attention and investment.
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