Chicago's Influential Violet Hour Is Closed Until Further Notice

For the past three weeks, the Violet Hour has remained dormant in Wicker Park, with ownership saying the cocktail bar was in dire need of plumbing repairs. Originally, the owners planned on reopening last week, but now the 18-year-old cocktail bar will stay closed 'until further notice,' missing the onslaught of culinary tourists in town next weekend for the 35th annual James Beard Awards.
Ownership from One Off Hospitality Group, the restaurant company behind the Publican and Big Star, says they're in negotiations with the building's landlord, attempting to reach common ground over those repairs. A rep declined to say how much that would cost, only saying 'substantial' fixes are needed. Floors would need to be ripped up, and the ground dug out. The bar's furniture remains intact at 1520 N. Damen Avenue. Public records showed the owner listed as Magic Carpet LLC, which leads to Newcastle Investors. A press release shows Newcastle acquired the property in 2023.
'We're working hard to resume service and will continue to share updates as they become available, so please keep an eye on our social media pages for the latest news,' a Violet Hour statement reads. 'Thank you for your continued support — we can't wait to welcome you back, if and when the time is right.'
Violet Hour's importance extends a few layers deep. The bar's debut ushered in the age of the mixologist with sophisticated cocktails using not-so-easy-to-find ingredients. And a multitude of different types of ice. But its influence extended across the country. Chicagoans enjoyed martinis and Manhattans, but Violet Hour's bartenders showed them new drinks, introducing them to future bar staples like the Paper Plane and the Art of Choke. In 2015, the bar won the Beard for Outstanding Bar Program. The bar has made numerous local and national lists and is one of Chicago's essential bars. An arsenal of bartenders remains thankful for their time working the bar, which helped launch their careers.
The bar's arrival also marked the start of One Off's Wicker Park presence as the area rapidly gentrified. MTV brought the neighborhood attention when it brought its Real World circus to North Avenue in 2001-2002. One Off partner Terry Alexander was already an integral part of the area — he was also behind Danny's Tavern in nearby Bucktown and soon joined Paul Kahan and Donnie Madia's group. After opening Big Star, they eventually took over the neighboring space to the north and opened Dove's Luncheonette. In 2016, the group opened a spinoff of its pioneering Publican, but the restaurant struggled to find traction as the neighborhood continued to change.
An ancillary Beard event, scheduled for Sunday, June 15 — a collaboration with Portland, Oregon Beard Award finalist Scotch Lodge — will move to Friends of Friends, a new bar that Alexander opened last week with Violet Hour alum Abe Vucekovich. Alexander's familiarity with the Violet Hour spans more than two decades through MOD, a restaurant that was open from 2000 to 2005; and Del Toro, a restaurant that gave Andrew Zimmerman a chance to shine. Zimmerman would go on to open West Loop icon Sepia, a Michelin-starred restaurant.
While One Off appears to be cautiously optimistic about a reopening, a decision to shutter could echo what happened in 2020 in West Loop when the company closed Blackbird, a gastronomic trailblazer, after two decades. Fans of Blackbird didn't get a chance to have a final meal. One Off hopes Violet Hour doesn't face the same fate and gets a proper last call.
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