New 'Culinary Brewhouse' in Ravenswood Receives Aldermanic Blessing

Plans for a new brew pub in Ravenswood are moving forward with the blessing of Ward 47 Ald. Ameya Pawar. Named Band of Bohemia, the culinary brewhouse will be a restaurant and bar, and also manufacture and sell beer onsite.  

Owners behind the project are heavy hitters in the Chicago food and beverage industry and planned their venture for Ravenswood at the urging of the alderman’s office.

Craig Sindelar, the sommelier at Alinea is teaming up with Half Acre brewer Mike Carroll for the brewpub. The two submitted a zoning request to the alderman, which still needs final city council approval. That could happen in May or June for a 2014 opening, Pawar predicted. 

The brewhouse will have a “Michelin star mind-set,” bringing upscale dining to the beer world, Sindelar said in an email to Patch. 

“We intend to serve a la carte dinner 6 days a week with a coffee lounge that provides service throughout the day,” he said. The owner declined to comment further until zoning receives final approval. 

The alderman told Patch Friday he supports the project’s zoning request at 4700-12 N. Ravenswood Ave., near the intersection of Ravenswood and Leland avenues.  

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For the project to become a reality, the area’s zoning needs to change from a manufacturing to a commercial district, M1-2 to a C1-2 zone. The current zoning allows 4,000 square feet for manufacturing and a minimal amount of retail. Sindelar and Carroll want to brew beer and serve patrons with a 6,000 square-foot facility. 

Renderings from Parallel Architecture show a modern wood and brick design with a 120-seat capacity and 20 parking spaces.

Sindelar and Carroll predict Band of Bohemia will bring about 30 jobs to the neighborhood. It'll also have a retail space to sell bottled beer, glasses and t-shirts. 

The two have been working with the alderman’s office since early 2012 and will be one of several new developments on Lawrence Avenue. Those developments were all key factors in securing the brewpub’s Ravenswood location, Pawar said. 

Construction is underway for a new Mariano’s Fresh Market and L.A. Fitness with a spring ground-breaking planned for 150 new apartments at Lawrence and Ravenswood avenues. 

Also breaking ground in the spring is the Lawrence Avenue Streetscape, a project that will make the street more pedestrian-friendly with widened sidewalks, pedestrian islands and a bike lane. 

“People in and around Lawrence Avenue have been waiting for something like this to happen for the last 20 years,” Pawar said. “The project has been very well-received.” 

Band of Bohemia might not be the only beer-focused business coming to the area. Pawar hinted his office is in talks with at least one more brew pub-type business for the area. Stay tuned for an announcement in the coming months.