Before Athleta, Noodles & Company and Southport Fitness, this stretch of Southport Avenue was home to neighborhood restaurants, sidewalk dining and a redevelopment project that took years to become reality.
Today’s two-story commercial building at 3413–3419 N. Southport Avenue may be familiar to shoppers and commuters near the Southport Brown Line station. But longtime residents remember a very different streetscape. Photographs from the Southport Corridor Chicago archives trace the property’s evolution through several generations of restaurants and, ultimately, a new retail development.
Before Red Tomato: Lo Galbo’s
Before Red Tomato and Redder, longtime neighborhood residents remember Lo Galbo’s Pizzeria in this Southport block. Two additional vintage photographs recently shared in a neighborhood Facebook group provide a particularly clear look at the old storefront. The restaurant advertised pizza, pasta, barbecue ribs, chicken and shrimp; its window lettering included spaghetti and ravioli. The wider view also shows the neighboring Southport Hardware & Janitor Supplies storefront, a reminder of the businesses that lined Southport before its later retail transformation. The photographs do not establish exact operating years.
Red Tomato: An Italian Restaurant and a Busy Patio
Red Tomato followed at 3417 N. Southport, becoming part of the neighborhood’s restaurant scene in the 1990s and early 2000s. Its brightly colored red-and-yellow mural and bustling sidewalk patio made the building difficult to miss.
An April 29, 1998, Chicago City Council record documents permission for Red Tomato’s 40-seat sidewalk café, providing a firm record of its presence at the address.
2006: Red Tomato Becomes Redder
In 2006, Red Tomato was revamped as Redder. The April 2006 Southport Neighbors Association newsletter documented owner Joe Di Venere’s transformation of the restaurant into a more contemporary lounge, with a menu emphasizing lighter fare.
The building retained its familiar low-rise profile, but Redder introduced a black awning, striking red-and-white signage and distinctive mosaic details. The precise closing year remains unconfirmed.
The Southport Collection: A Recession-Era Redevelopment
After the restaurant era, the property was marketed for redevelopment as The Southport Collection. Images from the period show large banners advertising new street-level retail space across the old brick restaurant building.
The transition was not immediate. The project was being marketed by May 2010, in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, and the old building remained visible beneath the advertising. Commercial real estate coverage at the time described roughly 14,000 square feet being marketed, while the archival banner promoted about 20,000 square feet of street retail. Those figures refer to different marketing descriptions, not a verified final floor-area measurement.
A promotional rendering pictured a much more contemporary brick-and-glass commercial building, with large storefront windows and second-floor space.
2013–2014: A New Chapter for the Block
The plan gained momentum in 2013 when leasing announcements identified three incoming businesses: Athleta (approximately 4,000 square feet), Noodles & Company (approximately 3,000 square feet) and Southport Fitness (approximately 8,000 square feet). Later commercial listings date the replacement building to around 2014.
The new storefronts brought national retail and fast-casual dining to a location that had once been known for independent restaurants and nightlife. Southport Fitness occupied the upstairs space, with Athleta and Noodles & Company along the street.
What It Looks Like Today
Today, Athleta, Noodles & Company and Southport Fitness remain the recognizable occupants of the building. The current exterior, with its broad storefront windows and second-floor fitness studio, is almost unrecognizable compared with the earlier restaurant façades.
From Lo Galbo’s to Red Tomato and Redder, and eventually to The Southport Collection, this stretch of Southport is a small but vivid example of the changes that have reshaped the neighborhood over the decades.
Do you remember Lo Galbo’s, Red Tomato or Redder? What do you remember about this block before Athleta? Share your memories in the comments.
Historical images: Southport Corridor Chicago archives; additional Lo Galbo’s photos shared in a neighborhood Facebook group (original photographer not established). Additional historical references: Southport Neighbors Association (April 2006); Chicago City Council sidewalk café record (April 29, 1998); Bisnow (May 2010); Seneca Real Estate Group (2015).