UKRAINIAN VILLAGE — A late-night diner serving all-day breakfast and “greasy spoon done well” meals is opening this weekend at the former Jeff & Judes deli location in Ukrainian Village.
Do-Over Diner, 1024 N. Western Ave., will hold a soft opening Saturday before opening for brunch Sunday. The menu includes omelettes and breakfast specials, plus burgers, chicken sandwiches, patty melts and more.
Former Jeff & Judes deli and bakery manager Hanna Coleman has taken over as executive chef, with Sam Yar running front of house operations and developing a bar program. Jeff & Judes owner Ursula Siker is still involved in the restaurant, but has moved to a consulting role as she prepares to switch careers and move to New York.
Siker said she and Coleman envisioned the diner as a more natural fit for the location than Jeff & Judes, especially because of its proximity to nearby bars and music venues like Sportman’s Club and the Empty Bottle.
“And we both kind of simultaneously came to the idea that it needs to be a diner, it needs to be a late-night place. And the name ‘Do Over’ of course is coming from the fact that we were previously a different concept that didn’t work with the kind of climate that we entered into, and that this is our take two on the location,” Siker said.
Siker opened Jeff & Judes in 2020 early in the COVID-19 pandemic. A professional baker for more than a decade, she started by selling baked goods to-go out of the deli’s Western Avenue storefront.
Jeff & Judes expanded to its full menu later that year, and opened for patio service, and then indoor dining in 2021.
Siker closed the restaurant last month, citing economic challenges.
“It’s just a tale as old as time. We were just spending too much money on the food itself as well as the hands it took to make it, and couldn’t justify the kind of prices we’d have to charge to keep that sustainable,” Siker said.
She said the pivot to the diner concept makes better business. Plus, it will have a full bar and beverage program overseen by Yar.
“I definitely envision us becoming something that will not only just be a diner or restaurant, but as well as a bar. So folks can come by because they want to have a cocktail or they also want to have a snack with it,” she said. “So it’s definitely going to be more of a 50/50 on why people are showing up … it’s definitely going to be just as emphasized on cocktails as it is on food.”
The restaurant will be open for brunch on Sundays as well as Mondays, when Siker and Coleman plan to offer an “industry brunch” for service industry workers who often have the day off, although all are welcome.
Do-Over Diner will also have expanded outdoor seating, with a renovated beer garden plus a standing area on the sidewalk where customers can have a drink while waiting for a table.
Siker said for fans of Jeff & Judes, the overall atmosphere and vibe will be similar. And while most of the menu has been overhauled, there’s one holdover from the Jewish deli: its black-and-white cookie.
“It’ll be a very similar guest experience, it’ll just be different food and a different time of day,” Siker said. “And you might be a little bit more drunk.”
Do-Over Diner will be open 4-10 p.m. Thursdays, 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Fridays, 4 p.m.-3 a.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sundays, and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Mondays. The restaurant will offer a late-night menu on weekends after the kitchen closes at 11 p.m.
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