Broadway in Uptown. Photo: Warren LeMay from Chicago, IL, United States / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A sports bar at the corner of Broadway and Lawrence is clearing space for a younger crowd this month. Crew Bar + Grill, 4804 N. Broadway, will host Santa Claus on Saturday, Dec. 16, from noon to 2 p.m.
Children can have their photos taken with Santa at no charge. The bar is also serving complimentary cookies and hot cocoa during the visit.
A family afternoon at a bar
Crew is a gay sports bar and restaurant, and the owners have been clear that the rules of a licensed bar still apply. Under Illinois liquor law, every child must be accompanied by an adult for the whole visit.
The event fits the way Crew has approached Uptown since it opened. Owners Brian Wells and Steve Milford picked the corner for its foot traffic, its train station and the mix of people who live nearby. Hosting Santa is a way to bring in neighbors who might not otherwise walk through the door, including families who live in the apartment buildings around Lawrence.
Holiday traffic on Broadway
December weekends are among the busiest of the year for restaurants near Broadway and Lawrence, with shows at the Aragon and the Riviera and the regular crowds at the Green Mill. A daytime event for kids adds a different kind of customer at an hour when bars are usually quiet.
Questions go to Steven Milford at (773) 784-2739, extension 5, or info@worldsgreatestbar.com.
Joel Sandoval covers arts, music venues and nightlife.
