New Cafe Wanted At Gibbs-Morrison To Replace First Slice Pie

EVANSTON, IL — City staff are seeking to identify a new user for the vacant cafe at the Gibbs-Morrison Cultural Center. According to a request for letters of intent, Evanston officials want to find an experienced food establishment to occupy the cafe in the city-owned building currently used for parks department programs.

Evanston purchased the property at 1823 Church St. in January 2015 and subsequently "invested significantly" in the location, according to the request. The building is located across from Evanston Township High School in the heart of the North Shore's African-American business community and named after Thomas Gibbs, the owner of a gas station at Church Street and Dodge Avenue, and William Morrison, the owner and pharmacist of Morrison's Pharmacy at the community center's current location.

First Slice Pie Cafe opened in the building in 2016 and closed on March 15 of this year. The nonprofit restaurant, which began as a meal subscription service and dedicates its profits to support those who are hungry and homeless, continues to operate three North Side locations.

In a preliminary draft of Evanston's budget last year, the city's operations at Gibbs-Morrison, which include a recording studio, a performance space and programs focused on culture, education and wellness, were listed among $4 million in proposed spending cuts. City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz estimated the change would save the city about $172,000.

Early in the budget process, 5th Ward Ald. Robin Rue Simmons removed the community center from the chopping block and suggested the city could find more revenue to offset its cost to the city. Since then, Rue Simmons said building manager Maurice Wilkerson has sought to increase city-sponsored ticketed events at the location with more "culturally relevant and requested content." New revenue is also being brought in by the music production tenant and recording studio operator and the West End Farmer's Market will move to the community center's patio starting in June, Rue Simmons said. She said she expected a new, neighborhood-focused operator for the cafe will attract more residents and groups to Gibbs-Morrison, which will in turn increase paid rentals of the space.

Now that First Slice has departed, city staff would prefer a lease term of 60 months with two additional options for five years for the 383-square-foot cafe, according to the request. The operator could also lease an adjacent office or storage space, it said.

Staff will be looking for a financially stable potential tenant with the ability to "support and foster artistic and cultural activities" and that can offer "a menu with the diversity of options reflecting the diverse neighborhood and diversity of uses in the neighborhood," according to the April 29 request for letters of intent.

There will be an opportunity to walk through the space and ask questions of city staff at 10 a.m. on May 15. Letters of intent must be submitted by noon on May 31. A decision is estimated to be made by June 14. A city review committee will make a recommendation for final approval to the City Council, which must ultimately sign off on any proposal.