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Venerable Bucktown Pub Sold, Regulars Hope New Owners Keep Vibe Intact

By Alisa Hauser | September 18, 2014 12:11pm | Updated on September 18, 2014 2:10pm
 Bucktown Pub at 1658 W. Cortland St.
Bucktown Pub at 1658 W. Cortland St.
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BUCKTOWN — A corner bar known for its cozy back patio, popcorn machine, friendly neighborhood bartenders and regular clientele has been sold, it was confirmed Thursday.

Come Monday, new owners will be taking over Bucktown Pub at 1658 W. Cortland Ave., according to the bar's longtime owner, Tom Gorsuch.

Gorsuch, a proprietor in the restaurant and bar industry for more than 40 years and part owner of the original Mother's, said on Thursday that he sold Bucktown Pub to "the guys that own Bangers & Lace," referring to Footman Hospitality, which also owns The Betty, 839 W. Fulton Market.

Alisa Hauser says the current staff hopes the new management keeps some things the same:

Gorsuch said he owned Bucktown Pub for almost 14 years.

"Times have changed. It's the last of the breed. Those nice neighborhood bars are hard to find. We were never a sports bar. We are kind of a last holdout," said Gorsuch.

The Bucktown Pub is just west of Ashland Avenue on a strip of Cortland Street that is tucked away but packed with restaurants and bars that cater to neighbors and commuters from the nearby Metra station. The building that houses Bucktown Pub was built in the early 1900s, according to county records.

"It has a nice ease about itself. You can't say that about too many places," said Bob Lottman, a retired police officer who was enjoying a beer Wednesday evening with his friend, Mark Militello, a house painter.

Lottman said he especially enjoyed the original tin ceilings and a stuffed goat that hangs over the bar. 

Militello said he hoped the new owners "don't change [the bar] too much." 

"I have seen enough places disappear around here. When you build $2 million dollar houses kitty corner [to a bar] the days are numbered," Militello said of the changing area.

Reached by email on Thursday, Footman Hospitality Partner Jason Freiman said, "We love the history of Bucktown Pub - it has so many great features and so much character. Essentially we plan to deepen the concept - we want to take all of the things that make it great and make them better."

The bar, which features a goat riding a motorcycle on its distinctive sign, is also near the easternmost end of the Bloomingdale Trail, which could attract potential customers.

Scheduled to open next summer, the 2.7-mile elevated trail will span several neighborhoods, from the baby stroller-filled streets of Bucktown to Ridgeway Avenue in Humboldt Park, and will serve as the centerpiece of a larger system also known as "The 606."

Real estate experts have predicted the trail would spark development.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story misidentified the Bucktown Pub's new ownership group.

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