ANDERSONVILLE — Clark Street's beloved neighborhood watering hole, Hopleaf, will make some big renovations in preparation for its 25th Anniversary.
Renovations for the bar and restaurant at 5148 N. Clark St. will include: painting to unify the two store fronts, a retractable awning for the south bar, a heated air curtain at the front door along with changes to the logo, according to a post on its Facebook page.
"We thought it would be a good time to spruce up our face a bit and also make some practical and mechanical improvements that are overdue," the Facebook post said.
Hopleaf moved into the former space of Clark Foster Liquors in 1992. The original north storefront and bar room were built in 1896, according to the post, first reported by Eater.
At the time, the bar's budget was "very limited and we made some aesthetic and practical compromises that we'd like to amend... Over the years, many of the architectural details from that era have been lost or covered."
Its aluminum-framed windows will be replaced with wooden-framed windows with operable awning windows and double hung windows. A new wood front door will be added along with an access door to the second floor, the post said.
There will also be changes to the seating and table layout in the north bar to make the room less crowded.
Regulars will be most excited about the heated air curtain at the entrance "to spare customers some of the bone chilling cold that invades the room every time the door opens in winter."
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