Hamburger Mary's Looks to Open in Oak Park, Focus on In-House Brewing

Hamburger Mary's, a 40-year-old international restaurant brand, is looking to open an Oak Park location with a focus on its in-house beer brewing, Hamburger Mary's owner Ashley Wright said Monday. 

Wright said while plans are still preliminary, he hopes to open the brewpub in Oak Park next year. He said Hamburger Mary's is conducting due diligence on a property in the village, but did not disclose the exact location. 

Wright said Monday that the village is "keen" on getting a brewpub to open in Oak Park, acknowledging that Hamburger Mary's is not the only establishment that has been looking. The opening and announcement of the new location will largely depend on financing, he said. 

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Village staff members have been working in the past few weeks to prepare a new liquor license category to allow brewpubs to operate in Oak Park. Village Board members will vote on the ordinance Monday night.

After receiving "several" inquiries from owners interested in opening in the area, Village Planner Craig Failor said last week that staff "wants to be proactive in setting the stage for entry if and when that occurs." 

According to a village agenda document, the new category would allow a restaurant-based business to manufacture beer, store it on the premises and sell it. 

The business would also be able to sell up to 1,000 barrels of beer per year to individuals and to distributors, according to the document. 

Hamburger Mary's met with the village's Liquor Control Review Board on Sept. 24. 

Wright, who opened the Andersonville restaurant as a franchisee before buying the franchise system in 2007, said the Oak Park location would incorporate the traditional Hamburger Mary's concept, but would focus more on the brewing aspect of the business. 

Hamburger Mary's started brewing its own beer in Andersonville in 2009, three years after opening in 2006. 

Hamburger Mary's opened its first location in San Francisco in 1972. An "eclectic late-night beer and burger joint," the restaurant quickly established itself as a staple in the gay and lesbian community, according to the company website. 

In 2007, Dale Warner in West Hollywood and twin brothers Ashley and Brandon Wright in Chicago bought the franchise system and have rebuilt it to include 12 locations across the U.S. and one in Berlin, Germany. 

The flagship Hamburger Mary’s in Andersonville, 5400 N. Clark St., features the traditional Mary’s dining room, Mary’s Rec Room sports bar and Mary’s Attic cabaret & nightclub, along with a large sidewalk patio.

Read more about Hamburger Mary's at www.hamburgermarys.com.