Jan. 21--Celebrity spotters and hungry actors have reason to rejoice. Steppenwolf Theatre said Thursday that it plans to open a new cafe and bar, developed in collaboration with the Boka Restaurant Group and located directly north of its famous mainstage theater in Lincoln Park.
With an address of 1700 N. Halsted St., the new enterprise will open in spring. It will sell tea and La Colombe coffee during the day and transition to a full bar service at night; casual dining will be available at all hours. The bar and restaurant will be at the front of the ground floor with windows on Halsted Street and accessible from the lobby of the current mainstage at 1650 N. Halsted St.
Steppenwolf managing director David Schmitz said that food will be available after shows, and that the cafe represents an attempt to make going to Steppenwolf "a simpler and easier experience" for audiences.
Given the relative paucity of late-night, arts-themed bars in the city, the new Steppenwolf venue seems likely to become a see-and-be-seen spot for actors, especially if Steppenwolf celebrities make a habit of hanging out there after shows. The space will be designed by Studio K, in collaboration with the design agency Grip.
Steppenwolf said the menu will be created by Chris Pandel of Swift Sons and Balena (the latter restaurant is located across the street). But the name and precise opening date of the restaurant have yet to be announced
Also Thursday, Steppenwolf announced plans to open the its long-expected new black-box theater, also in the building at 1700 N. Halsted. That space also will open this spring although programming is not yet decided; it's likely to be heavy in productions of new works.
This 80-seat theater will essentially replace the Garage Theatre at 1624 N. Halsted, which will cease to be a performance venue, becoming a rehearsal and private-event space. Steppenwolf long has had plans to expand its campus to the south, but that is a costly project. In the meantime, Schmitz said, the theater has decided to focus on improving the experience for audiences -- and giving them somewhere to hang out within shouting distance of the mainstage action.
Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.
cjones5@tribpub.com
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