Montrose Saloon NOT Closing, 'Touch Up' Should Be Finished By Labor Day

IRVING PARK — It's been a rough couple of years for Chicago's corner taverns, but despite its boarded-up appearance, the Montrose Saloon isn't one of the casualties — in fact, it's just the opposite.

Owners temporarily closed the bar at 2933 W. Montrose Ave. at the end of May for a "needed touch-up," they said in a Facebook post. The goal is to reopen by Labor Day.

The team behind Lincoln Square's Fountainhead bought the saloon in 2015 "with a commitment to honoring the history and feel of the Chicago neighborhood tavern," they said.

Renovations of the saloon's interior and exterior are part of their bid "to keep this tradition alive," they said.

Progress reports shared on Facebook show a new outdoor bar and new windows and bocce courts among other changes. There are no plans to add a kitchen, owners said.

Responding to patrons' concerns that the saloon would become too trendy or a hot spot for yuppies or millennials, owners said, "As long as you guys like good beer, good whiskey, and a structurally sound place to enjoy them, we think you'll be pleased."

The bar will be "returning with a much better look but the same feel as we have always had," owners promised.

Check out the work underway (all photos from Facebook/Montrose Saloon):

^{Ready by Labor Day? That's what owners say.}

^{The bar has been shifted to clear a path to the side door, which will allow service to the new outdoor bar.}

^{Repurposed rear bar}

^{The outdoor patio is being renovated, too. Check out the "Green Monster" wall and bocce courts.}

^{New windows — let there be light.}