LOGAN SQUARE — A new restaurant is taking over the former Township spot across from the California Blue Line station in Logan Square.
Steve Lewis, who ran Centennial Crafted Beer + Eatery in River North, and Chris Thompson, former partner at Coda di Volpe in Lakeview, are behind the new restaurant, located at 2200 N. California Ave. The two plan to open the new spot sometime in December.
Chloe Croom, public relations spokeswoman for Lewis and Thompson, wouldn’t divulge anything about the food but said to expect a market component in light of the state’s new coronavirus restrictions.
Croom said they’re planning to expand the restaurant’s footprint and take over the adjacent storefront at 2202 N. California Ave. and the west side of the building near the alley on Palmer Street sometime next year.
Thompson’s latest venture with Lewis will inject new life into a restaurant and music venue that has sat vacant for a few years.
Township, known for its vegan food and unpretentious vibes, went dark in 2017 after a five-year run. When the restaurant closed, so did the adjoining music venue, which regularly showcased local bands.
The opening comes in the midst of a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Chicago. State and city officials have tightened restrictions on restaurants and bars in recent weeks in an effort to control the city’s worsening outbreak.
“Opening a restaurant is a massive undertaking, let alone opening one during a global pandemic when indoor dining has continuously come under city and state mandated closures,” Croom said in an email.
“However, Lewis and Thompson hope to be an optimistic symbol of the resiliency of Chicago’s restaurant industry. Like all of the independent restaurants in Chicago, they will adapt, fight, and ultimately survive this challenging time.”
Once open, the new restaurant will be the pair’s first under their newly-formed hospitality group Meadowlark Hospitality.
In addition to serving as opening partner at Coda di Volpe, Thompson was the executive chef at A16 in San Francisco and helped launch The Nickel in Denver.
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