Danny’s Tavern, a Bucktown hotspot since 1986, is closing. Block Club Chicago received confirmation of the bar’s demise from co-owner Michael Noone on Thursday.
The candle-lit dive bar lured patrons with an intimate, packed dance floor, tunes ranging from Afrobeat to ’80s hip-hop, and Smiths nights. Though rising rent costs and gentrification brought Danny’s Tavern to the verge of closure in 2015, a surge of community funding and support kept the bar alive. This time around, the devastation of the COVID-19 crisis shuttered Danny’s Tavern permanently.
The viability of venues across the U.S. continue to be threatened by restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. Although the Save Our Stages Act passed the House with considerable bipartisan support, lawmakers have failed to reach an agreement on a second relief package for individuals and businesses. Last month, the National Independent Venue Association shared an open letter warning of an impending crisis in the absence of government aid.
With very little online presence, Danny’s Tavern has not shared a public statement regarding their closure at the time of writing.
Image credit: Rob Reid
