FALL-THEMED ART LINES OCTOBER CAFE’S WALLS. PHOTO: HEATHER LALLEY
followers. But not all of that engagement is as cozy as a brisk autumn day. In the 2024 presidential election, only about 22% of Chicago residents voted for Donald Trump. October Café sits in the city’s deepest red pocket. “That was a decision,” Gonzalez said. “We were at the beginning like, Do we say that we are gay? But what are you gonna say? ‘We’re friends and October is for no reason?’” Authenticity was the only choice, they said. “If they don’t like it, well, we don’t want business of that kind,” she said. But it hasn’t been easy.
People frequently make baseless complaints about the café to city inspectors, they said. Their social media posts are often besieged by anti-gay trolls, which they stay on top of deleting. And they’ll sometimes get flooded with one-star reviews. Online response to a recent drag queen storytime was so vitriolic, they said they feared for their safety. “It’s cowardice,” Gonzalez said. PREPARING TO GROW Mostly though, Gonzalez and Borden said they focus on making the café a welcoming spot for all. The food menu is packed with vegan and
becoming business owners. But Gonzales’ parents encouraged them: “They were like, Audrey, Michelle, if you want a dream, you can’t just wait for it to come,” she said. “Go get it. If it fails, it fails. Keep trying.” Thirty days after signing the lease, after scrubbing the space and knocking out some walls and decorating it in perma-fall vibes, October Café opened its doors. “We were both working our other jobs the one day, and then the next day, the café was open,” Borden said. Working together as a married couple presents some challenges, the two said. There is some butting of heads. But there is also mutual respect and a shared vision for the cozy café. DOING BUSINESS AS THEIR AUTHENTIC SELVES Social media is central to October Café’s strategy. The two post a fresh video to Instagram, Facebook and TikTok every day, sometimes highlighting food and beverage offerings and sometimes having fun with a trending sound or cozy fall theme. The café has 12,000 followers on Instagram, 2,300 on Facebook and 1,500 on TikTok, and the pair said they devote more than two hours each day to posting to social media and engaging with
MICHELLE GONZALEZ AND AUDREY BORDEN SHOW OFF ONE OF OCTOBER CAFE’S FEATURED FALL FLIGHTS OF BEVERAGES. | PHOTO COURTESY: OCTOBER CAFE
OCTOBER 2025 RESTAURANT BUSINESS
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