PILSEN — A group of six Skylark employees have bought the beloved Pilsen bar, and they’re vowing to keep it the same.
The original Skylark owners put the bar up for sale last year, saying it was time for them to retire. At the time, co-owner Bob McHale said he wanted new owners who would preserve the business and that he was working to “steer” a sale to a few current Skylark employees interested in taking over.
McHale and the employees-turned-owners confirmed the sale in an email Wednesday. The sale price wasn’t immediately clear, but the original asking price was $1.6 million.
The new owners are planning to celebrate with a “Grand Staying The Same” party 7 p.m. Feb. 2 at the bar, 2149 S. Halsted St. There will be limited edition Skylark apparel available for purchase, along with its typical and well-loved menu.
It was a “no-brainer” to sell Skylark to the group of employees, McHale said in the email.
“It makes it feel like everything we did over the past 20 years is worth it,” McHale wrote.
Brian Page, a longtime Skylark bartender and now part-owner, said the team is ready to carry the torch.
“I want to see the place survive,” Page wrote. “I hate to see neighborhood bars
close down and no longer be fostering community. I’ve worked at too many bars
that have become victims of someone who feels like they’re going to get rich off of it.”
The sale includes the entire building that is home to Skylark, along with two top-floor apartments and a basement.
Skylark, which opened in 2003, is a staple of Chicago’s dive bar scene with its local beer list, pub food menu and retro decor. It’s been featured in countless “Best Of” lists — including Eater’s Chicago’s Essential Dive Bars and Chicago Magazine’s Chicago’s Best Neighborhood Bars.
The bar has also been featured on the big screen in movies like “The Break Up” and is rumored to be home to some of the city’s oldest urinals.
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