WEST RIDGE — A restaurant owner and his cousin hope to revive a long-time neighborhood bar that recently closed, and they have plans to upgrade the place and add a kitchen.
Cousins Chimoun Chlimon and Anthony Jarta are applying for a liquor license to reopen My Place, the popular dive bar at 2212 W. Touhy Ave. that closed in 2017 after 46 years in business.
The wood-paneled bar was opened in May 1971 by Bob Padgett. After Padgett died, his children ran the bar, updating it to accept credit cards but keeping much of the place looking and operating as it did for decades.
The Padgett children closed the bar for good in September 2017.
Since then, the Touhy Avenue building that housed My Place has been bought by a member of the Jarta family, property records show. That family member offered Chlimon and Jarta the opportunity to revive the bar, Chlimon said.
Chlimoun lives in West Ridge and owns Simon Tacos in Portage Park, which he opened in 2017.
The business partners are requesting the city overturn a liquor moratorium on Touhy Avenue that precludes them from getting a liquor license so they can reopen My Place.
My Place was already in existence when the city instituted a liquor moratorium on Touhy Avenue between Ridge and Western avenues. The bar’s new owners cannot use the business’ previous license and would need the moratorium overturned to reopen, Ald. Maria Hadden (49th) said at a community meeting last week.
Jarta and Chlimoun said they want to update portions of the business while retaining many of its most popular characteristics.
The name will be updated to My Place Tavern and Grill, and a kitchen will be installed, the cousins said at the community meeting. Renderings show a new awning and signs, as well.
The business will serve pub fare, including burgers, wings and tacos.
The building’s facade will be renovated to include more inviting windows. The bar’s interior and back patio will also be renovated, the cousins said. About $150,000 will be invested into the business, they said.
“My Place is a bar that I know is a local community staple,” Jarta said at the meeting. “I’m only 21 myself, but I’ve had friends come and tell me through their parents, ‘We love My Place. We have many memories here and we’d really love to see it open again.'”
The owners said they hope to open in about six months if a liquor license is secured. The bar would be open until 2 a.m.
Hadden is considering the liquor moratorium change and wants neighbor input. To fill out a survey on the proposal, click here.
Hadden said it is a good sign people want to invest in the area and revive a closed business.
The liquor moratorium on Touhy Avenue extends into the 50th Ward, and Ald. Debra Silverstein is in support of lifting the moratorium, Hadden said.
“I, for one, was pretty excited that someone was interested in coming in and giving some life to what was a long-cherished neighbor establishment,” Hadden said at the community meeting.
Among the neighbors to speak in support of the revived My Place is Sandra Carter, owner of Jarvis Square Tavern and Taste Food and Wine in Rogers Park.
“I remember being in your position, getting a moratorium lifted and answering to the neighborhood and getting a lot of support,” Carter said. “Welcome to the neighborhood.”
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story inaccurately attributed a quote to Silverstein that was made by Hadden.
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