Overview
- The storied Chicago venue announced Thursday that Teri O’Brien purchased it from longtime owners Tim and Katie Tuten and Mike and Jim Hinchsliff, with sale terms undisclosed.
- O’Brien said she will keep the existing 26-member staff and maintain current programming without interruption while splitting her time between Chicago and Nashville.
- Planned tweaks under consideration include partnerships with the city and nonprofits, expanded nonalcoholic drink options, possible podcasting, and a Nashville showcase called Broads and Songs.
- Outgoing owners publicly endorsed the handoff, and artist Andrew Bird praised the continuity signaled by passing the venue to a former employee.
- The transition follows the club’s 2022 closure and January 2023 reopening after an equity audit and comes as a CIVL report finds only about 22 percent of Chicago’s independent venues are profitable.