LINCOLN PARK — Crossing Tavern, a sports bar with a following among Kansas and Notre Dame fans, is closed after a burst water pipe caused extensive damage.
The pipe burst in an upstairs apartment shortly before closing on Dec. 17, and Crossing has been closed since.
"It couldn't come at a worse time," General Manager Jason Anderson said Tuesday. In addition to the lost holiday business and New Year's Eve, Anderson added, "We're a Jayhawks bar — No. 2 team in the nation" in college basketball.
"On top of that we're a [Kansas City] Chiefs bar, too," Anderson said, "and the Chiefs are in the playoffs."
Crossing, 2548 N. Southport Ave., replaced the fondly remembered Southport City Saloon after it closed in 2010, and made a name for itself even in Chicago's crowded sports-bar scene with an extensive array of TVs, four varied bars and a beer garden.
The food, under the direction of chef Jaime Ocampo, was a cut above as well, with a menu including "lollipop lamb chops." It was a recommended place to see the Cubs during their championship run last year.
"The Cubs were a blessing," Anderson said.
Crossing had ample competition in town for attracting Notre Dame fans, but had clearly connected with Kansas and Kansas City fans.
A Yelp posting said the bar was set to reopen at the end of March, but Anderson said nothing is so certain.
"We're just throwing up our hands right now, because there's so much coming at us," Anderson said, from insurance settlements to repair estimates. "Our time frame is still up in the air. We don't know. We're hoping soon."
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