Retail Rumors – Southport Corridor News and Events

Retail Rumors – Is Splendid Coming Back?

Splendid closed in 2019 and Johnny Was moved in. But new job listings are showing a possible return.

Boka Restaurant Rumors: Sugargoat and ‘Sushi’ (Momotaro?) possibly joining GG’s Chicken Shop

After Boka announced GG’s Chicken Shop this past week, rumors are swirling on the other two concepts to be announced in early 2022

Sunglass Hut not coming to Southport

Rumors had been swirling from M2’s final social media post on their closing

From M2’s farewell post earlier last month, they had indicated that Claire’s and Sunglass Hut were going into 3530 N. Southport Avenue.

Claire’s has posted job opportunities for a new store in Chicago’s Southport Corridor

Claire’s has officially posted job openings on the web and LinkedIn for a new store in Chicago’s Southport Corridor.

Former Southport Lanes site no longer listed for lease

New restaurant rumors swirling around

Southport Lanes closed for good last Fall, and for the past year, the site has been listed for lease. Recently, Mid-America Real Estate had the site active for lease, but has recently taken it down.

In the SoPo rumor-ville, the building could be leased (or in the process of being leased) by The Boka Restaurant Group as a new restaurant.

A restaurant deal is in the works at the old Blue Bayou space

How fast a decade flies by. Blue Bayou closed in 2012 and had been marketed for lease for the past several years. The property has been foreclosed on and we finally have heard through the real estate rumor mill that a restaurant is looking to move into this space.

A look inside the former Blue Bayou space – September, 2021

One rumor is that Zia’s Lago Vista is looking at the space as their current location is being torn down and will be turned into a new development.

Story developing…

Approved: The Lakeview Connection

A new development has been approved at 3179 N. Clark Street called Lakeview Connection. This is currently the site of Fifth Third Bank’s drive through, and will include a smaller version of the branch, with several more retail spaces available.

A grocery store tenant has taken the second floor, and the rumor is that it will be Amazon Fresh.

Schoolyard Tavern Gutted on the inside

The interior of Schoolyard Tavern is completely gutted, and it looks like it’s suffering the same fate as Southport Lanes

Currently, the interior of Schoolyard Tavern is completely gutted and a dismantle of some-sort is underway. The bar and backroom are both completely ripped out, along with all tables/chairs and other items that were once installed. We’ve reached out to Schoolyard Tavern after their final closing last October on what the current status is with the business, but have yet to hear back. No more website, however Facebook and Twitter are still up.

Just Salad announced in early 2019 that it was opening four Chicago locations, two have which have already opened downtown. It looks like at least one more location could be in the heart of the Southport Corridor according to their tweet earlier this week. Since retail space is scarce on Southport, the one logical option could be next to Potbelly where Paperchase was originally supposed to open. Time will certainly tell, and we should know more as Spring progresses. Would you welcome Just Salad to Southport?

Warby Parker rumored to be coming to Chicago’s Southport Corridor

🤓 @warbyparker is rumored to be coming to the @southportcorridorchicago. See the blog for details. (at Southport Corridor News and Events – Chicago, Illinois)