WICKER PARK— Goodbye, Mahalo and aloha, The Beach House Social.
Beginning Monday, Mahalo, a Hawaiian-themed vacation-inspired getaway at 1501 N. Milwaukee, will become The Beach House Social.
General manager Vince Vecchio said on Thursday that the rebranding will go into effect Monday and Mahalo’s existing site will redirect to a new website, which will showcase an all-new menu. New signage for The Beach House Social will be added to the exterior of the building within the coming days.
Vecchio declined to reveal any details on the new menu just yet.
Mahalo opened in 2016, replacing cava bar Bom Bolla. The owners of Mahalo, Parker Restaurant Group, also operate the nautical-themed Hampton Social in River North as well as the forthcoming Hampton Social in Streeterville.
Vecchio said the concept tweak from Mahalo to The Beach House Social was prompted by a desire to make both brands more unified.
“That’s the biggest reason, we wanted to make the company a little more cohesive between the two brands. We definitely want to have that vacation feel for sure, that’s not going to leave. This will be just a little closer to our sister restaurant Hampton Social,” Vecchio said.
In recent days, heavy wooden chairs in a back dining room that Vecchio said “weren’t that functional” have been replaced with canvas director’s style chairs like the kind seen at beaches.
“We are still mulling over furniture and will have more lounge-y furniture on the second floor and are making those decisions within the next few days,” Vecchio said.
The branding change will be seamless and the restaurant and bar will remain open.
With some 200 seats over two bars, a dining room and a rooftop patio in the back of the building, the Mahalo space is one of the largest restaurants in Wicker Park. Vecchio said the number of seats at The Beach House Social will be roughly the same as Mahalo’s.
“I am very excited, [the new concept] fits our company, our culture, even Wicker Park better,” Vecchio said.
Leah Root, a Wicker Park resident who lives near Mahalo and got wind of the impending rebranding, said she welcomes the change.
“I loved Mahalo, the food was delicious. I’m excited for The Beach House Social. The new interior updates look great,” Root said.
The exterior facade of the 1880s-era vintage building that’s home to Mahalo was saved from the wrecking ball in 2014.
