CITY HALL — One of Chicago's original craft breweries has sealed the deal for a three-year contract extension to serve concertgoers at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park.
The City Council's Committee on Special Events signed off on a three-year deal for Goose Island to serve food and alcohol at the Pritzker Pavilion.
Goose Island owner John Hall said it basically extends the deal the brewery has had to serve in Millennium Park the last three years.
David McDermott, deputy commissioner for the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, which brokered the deal, said it sets a base payment of $90,000, plus 15 percent on revenues of more than $400,000.
Two one-year extensions would set slightly higher payments, but it's expected to bring in between $100,000 and $125,000 a year, with the city gaining perhaps $375,000 over the course of the contract.
McDermott said the city has seen sales of between $500,000 and $600,000 a year in the past at the pavilion, with the variation due mostly to erratic weather.
Goose Island expects to charge $6 for a beer, including its popular 312 and Green Line brands, $7 for wine and $7 to $10 for food such as hot dogs, gorditas and even a vegetarian Tempe Reuben.
"Compared to Wrigley Field prices, you're doing pretty good," said Ald. John Arena (45th).
McDermott said the Pritzker Pavilion will play host to about 85 events this year, including Gospel Fest, Jazz Fest, the Downtown Sound series on Mondays and a film series on Tuesdays.
Hall said the brewery had already seen increased business from the new Maggie Daley Park nearby as well.
Aldermen Michele Smith (43rd) and Walter Burnett Jr. (27th) both cheered Goose Island as a local business with a presence in their wards, and McDermott called it a "high-quality amenity" for concertgoers.
"I'm happy to see we're working with a local vendor," Arena added.
"Where's the tasting?" Ald. Joe Moore (49th) joked as chairman of the Committee on Special Events. "I want to make sure this is an informed vote."
The contract passed, without any sampling of the products, and heads to the full City Council for final approval on Wednesday.
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