WICKER PARK — Weeks shy of what would have been a Division Street gastropub's first anniversary, Barley & Brass has shuttered and will be replaced by 25 Degrees, an expanding River North burger bar that also offers boozy milkshakes.
Barley & Brass' co-owners Joe and Mac Boumaroun, two brothers who are also behind River North's popular 25 Degrees burger bar, opened Barley & Brass last November at 2015 W. Division St., just west of Damen Avenue.
On Monday, a spokeswoman for Barley & Brass confirmed that Sunday was the restaurant's last day in business. The spokeswoman said 25 Degrees plans to open the chain's fifth location and second in Chicago by early December.
25 Degrees' Wicker Park outpost will offer 100 seats, more than Barley & Brass, which featured big, deep leather booths and seats along the bar.
Located at 735 N. Clark St., 25 Degrees offers craft-your-own burgers, "Chicago Style" hot dogs, grilled cheese and chicken sandwiches and salads, according to its menu.
"They've always wanted to open another location for 25 Degrees in Chicago. They are shifting gears and it's a natural transition," the spokeswoman said.
Reached early Monday, Joe Boumaroun said the decision to close Barley & Brass was "kind of unfortunate."
"We feel like it was a great concept but it didn't fit the area too well. Out Yelp reviews were 4.5 stars and feedback was great but it came down to the numbers," Joe Boumaroun said.
Ashley DiSandro, a Ukrainian Village resident, heard about the closure on Barley & Brass' Twitter feed.
"I personally think they had a great menu but they seemed to keep changing it and never had the same things every time you went back," DiSandro said.
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