LINCOLN PARK — Looking for a place to hold your upcoming engagement party? What about a corporate outing?
The owner of bar/restaurant Knife & Tine, 1417 W. Fullerton Ave., opened a venue at 1335 W. Concord Place last week that's tucked away in an industrial area of Lincoln Park.
Dubbed Concord Fifty Five, the industrial-style venue can hold about 100 people seated inside, and about 300 with the garden and surrounding outdoor space, owner Carissa Shaffer said.
Shaffer, a resident of suburban Elmhurst, said she and her business partner opened the venue in hopes of providing a more flexible experience for people planning events.
"We opened Knife & Tine because we were sick of how restaurants were operating in a pretentious way, like you were lucky to be dining there instead of being hospitable to your guests," she said.
"We will run the event space the same way. We want it to be flexible and fun."
That means Shaffer won't be requiring people to use the preferred vendors, which include her restaurant.
Plus, she wanted to make sure prices were reasonable for the neighborhood: Shaffer is charging $500 to rent out the venue on a Thursday evening. On the weekends, though, that price goes up. All day Saturday will set you back $2,500, she said.
Grilling at Concord Fifty Five. [Courtesy/Carissa Shaffer]
Shaffer hopes people will be drawn to the venue's industrial interior, which has exposed brick, unique gray floors and floor-to-ceiling windows. The venue used to be home to a stone supplier.
"We don't want it to be a banquet space," Shaffer said. "We want it to be unique."
To find out more information, visit the venue's Facebook page, which will be up and running soon.
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