Hungry Brain Closing In December [UPDATE]

By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 3, 2014 5:00PM

UPDATE 12:10 p.m.: Hungry Brain co-owner Janis White told Chicagoist several reasons factored into her and Luz Cordova's decision to close Hungry Brain. One interesting reason, "we can no longer hold our own with all the new places opening in Logan Square, White said. "People in that neighborhood used to shoot down Western to drink with us and now there are breweries and bars and what not."

White once again thanked Hungry Brain's clientele for over 17 years of business. "It's unbelievable, how much like family they are. Even if they've never been here before, everybody clicks and is on the same page once they enter."

Another day, another Chicago institution announces it is closing. Hungry Brain owners Janis White and Luz Cordova are shuttering their Roscoe Village tavern and performance space at 2319 W. Belmont Ave. effective Dec. 15. Hungry Brain opened in 1997 and quickly earned a dedicated clientele with its eclectic performance schedule and dive bar aesthetic.

Thrillist ranked Hungry Brain 11th on its list of the top hipster bars in Chicago while the bar landed on our 2013 list of the best jazz clubs in the city on the strength of Umbrella Music’s “Transmission” series. Hungry Brain is also home to comedy showcases, poetry readings and variety shows such as the long-running “You, Me, Them, Everybody!”

White and Cordova did not list a reason for their decision to call it quits (Chicagoist has reached out to White for comment and we will update if and when she replies) but they have encouraged fans of the bar to “stop by often in the coming weeks and say farewell."