Not Only a Little Enjoyable, Quadalotta Enjoyable: Archie’s Returns for Again-to-College Fest

The gauzy late-afternoon mild shone vivid on the West Quad on the opening of the inaugural Quadalotta festivities. Loyola partnered with Archie’s Cafe — the previous native spot closed to the general public in August 2024 — to host the back-to-school celebration Sept. 6.

The occasion was funded by Loyola and sponsored by the Department of Neighborhood Initiatives, in response to Director of Neighborhood Initiatives for Lake Shore and Health Science Campuses Summur Lawson.

Lawson stated Loyola’s partnership with Archie’s has existed since its opening in February 2018 when Lawson was a frequent buyer and developed a friendship with the restaurant’s proprietor, Roberta Schmatz. 

Schmatz stated she and her household constructed Archie’s from scratch to create a welcoming and enriching gathering place for all ages. 

“I lived around the corner from there and wanted a space like that and a neighborhood where everyone was welcome,” Schmatz stated. “There are so few spaces like that. It was special in that way.”

Schmatz wasn’t the one one who expressed this sentiment. Ruben Steiner, lead singer of Lund Surk — one of many bands who carried out on the occasion — appeared to really feel equally about Archie’s. 

“All the shows were free, and it was all built upon an understanding that we were performing as a community ritual,” Steiner stated. “Nothing else in the city fills the hole that was left.”  

Lamenting the lack of Archie’s as a efficiency house for indie artists, Steiner stated there’s politics concerned in allocation of house to the humanities.

Following Loyola’s January 2024 buy of the cafe and its subsequent closure, Lawson stated she collaborated with Schmatz, discussing methods to maintain the tradition and environment of the restaurant alive. 

Loyola’s first occasion in partnership with Archie’s was a winter extravaganza in December 2024, which featured the cafe’s merchandise and the work of native artisans, in response to Lawson. After this, Schmatz and Lawson thought-about future occasions to deliver the expertise of Archie’s to college students and group members.

“We talked about possibly doing the jazz brunch, a fashion show and the idea of something for back-to-school seemed really cool to both of us,” Lawson stated. “You’ve got warm weather, a beautiful quad and it’s an opportunity to bring local musicians to campus in a really fun way. We both loved that idea, and wanted it to get to fruition.”

Quadalotta’s promotional flyers marketed quite a lot of reside performances, organizations and distributors for the Loyola group to peruse on the free on-campus occasion.

Vendor cubicles boasted second-hand garments, earrings, 99-cent books, natural sourdough items, informational pamphlets, zines and as many promotional trinkets as one scholar may need. 

The occasion provided a serene place for anybody to take pleasure in music, chat with pleasant faces or just sprawl out lazily on the grass. 

It wasn’t simply the Loyola scholar physique who speckled the floor of the West Quad garden. Over the course of the night, many curious group members inquired into the assorted acts acting on the out of doors stage.

Archie’s obtained a liquor license on the finish of 2019 however remained a restaurant, Schmatz stated. She believes this, along with reside music performances by native musicians 4 nights per week, made the cafe-bar a novel and welcoming addition to the Rogers Park group.

“Everyone was welcome, and it was very intergenerational as well,” Schmatz stated. “There were older folks, there were students. There were a lot of regulars, so there was a lot of camaraderie that developed.”

The reside music performances at Quadalotta have been achieved by musicians primarily related to Archie’s previous to its closure akin to Lund Surk, North Coast Band, Lace for Leisure, Greenttea & the Tempos and Current Union TM. 

A number of Loyola scholar teams additionally placed on performances throughout the occasion, akin to 45 Kings Improv and an acapella group.

Over the course of the night festivities, the West Quad air matured from a boring heat to a crisp Autumn chill. Yet regardless of the chilly, a small group appeared to type collectively.

“The goal, once Archie’s closed, was to bring the spirit of Archie’s onto campus in a way that really celebrates community, creativity and connection,” Lawson stated. “Something that Archie’s was loved for.”