Not Just a Little Fun, Quadalotta Fun: Archie’s Returns for Back-to-School Fest

The gauzy late-afternoon light shone bright on the West Quad at the opening of the inaugural Quadalotta festivities. Loyola partnered with Archie’s Cafe — the former local spot closed to the public in August 2024 — to host the back-to-school celebration Sept. 6.

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

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

Schmatz said she and her family built 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 said. “There are so few spaces like that. It was special in that way.”

Schmatz wasn’t the only person who expressed this sentiment. Ruben Steiner, lead singer of Lund Surk — one of the bands who performed at the event — seemed to feel similarly 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 said. “Nothing else in the city fills the hole that was left.”  

Lamenting the loss of Archie’s as a performance space for indie artists, Steiner said there’s politics involved in allocation of space to the arts.

Following Loyola’s January 2024 purchase of the cafe and its subsequent closure, Lawson said she collaborated with Schmatz, discussing ways to keep the culture and atmosphere of the restaurant alive. 

Loyola’s first event in partnership with Archie’s was a winter extravaganza in December 2024, which featured the cafe’s products and the work of local artisans, according to Lawson. After this, Schmatz and Lawson considered future events to bring the experience of Archie’s to students and community 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 said. “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 a variety of live performances, organizations and vendors for the Loyola community to peruse at the free on-campus event.

Vendor booths boasted second-hand clothes, earrings, 99-cent books, organic sourdough goods, informational pamphlets, zines and as many promotional trinkets as one student could desire. 

The event offered a serene place for anyone to enjoy music, chat with friendly faces or simply sprawl out lazily on the grass. 

It wasn’t just the Loyola student body who speckled the surface of the West Quad lawn. Over the course of the evening, many curious community members inquired into the various acts performing on the outdoor stage.

Archie’s obtained a liquor license at the end of 2019 but remained a cafe, Schmatz said. She believes this, in addition to live music performances by local musicians four nights per week, made the cafe-bar a unique and welcoming addition to the Rogers Park community.

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

The live music performances at Quadalotta were done by musicians primarily associated with Archie’s prior to its closure such as Lund Surk, North Coast Band, Lace for Leisure, Greenttea & the Tempos and Current Union TM. 

A few Loyola student groups also put on performances during the event, such as 45 Kings Improv and an acapella group.

Over the course of the evening festivities, the West Quad air matured from a dull warmth to a crisp Autumn chill. Yet despite the cold, a small community appeared to form together.

“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 said. “Something that Archie’s was loved for.”