ANDERSONVILLE — Hopleaf will not close during its big renovation but regulars will need to get used to entering through a new door in the coming weeks.
Patrons will need to use the south bar entrance for a few days during the work, but business will not be disrupted at all, said Hopleaf owner Mike Roper Thursday morning.
Tuesday, the bar and restaurant at 5148 N. Clark St. announced via Facebook the renovation plans, which include: painting to unify the two store fronts, a retractable awning for the south bar and changes to the logo.
Regulars will be most excited about a planned 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."
There will also be changes to the seating and table layout in the north bar to make the room less crowded.
"The goal is to have it all done in November," Roper said. "We are running against the clock weather wise to get the windows and painting done before it gets cold and rainy," he said. "We'll get the outside work done first, hopefully in the next couple weeks and then work on the entryway tile, the heated air curtain, and the new tabletops and seating over the next month."
The Hopleaf celebrates its 25 anniversary on Feb. 15, so Roper said he wanted the place to be ready to go for special events they have planned.
"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.
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.
While it is still waiting on new custom made doors and table tops to be finished at the shop, Roper said he expects the project to be completed in the next month.
Hopleaf moved into the former space of Clark Foster Liquors on Feb. 15, 1992. The original north storefront and bar room were built in 1896.
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."
The date "was just the beginning of the year long morphing into Hopleaf" and "we'll be posting lots of before and after photos of the progress during that year," Roper said.
By the end of 1992, "Hopleaf was really Hopleaf and we had a delayed 'Grand Opening' in February 1993. We will celebrate the anniversary in a similar fashion," he said.
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