Cognoscenti Coffee's Jack Benchakul Drops Good Girl Dinette for Scoops Chinatown

It looks like new digs for Jack Benchakul, the scientifically-minded coffee maestro behind the Cognoscenti Coffee cart parked inside of Highland Park’s Good Girl Dinette. When Eater last spoke to him at the end of September, he and the sleek wood cart were pouring Vietnamese lattes for the weekend brunch crowd, and discussing the possibility of going permanent there, though things now appear to have changed.

Now, according to his own Instagram account, Benchakul has officially moved on from Diep Tran’s long-running diner, and is headed for Scoops in Chinatown. Good timing, considering the current renaissance underway in the area, and the forthcoming arrival of a pair of Andy Ricker Thai food concepts.

When reached by email, Benchakul is quick to note that the move has nothing to do with Tran or the fine folks at Good Girl Dinette. Rather he believes "a bit of coffee renaissance is required in the area," adding that "culinary boundaries are being pushed in that part of town, and it’s getting pretty exciting over there!"

Exciting, indeed. For now, catch Benchakul and the Cognoscenti Coffee modbar cart just steps from Chego inside of Scoops at the Far East Plaza in Chinatown.