Heisler Planning Small Cocktail Bar on Western

Matt Eisler and designer Kevin Heisner are adding another project to their portfolio, planning a small cocktail bar for a space on Western Avenue that used to house a classic Polish dive. They're keeping the original name, The Sportman's Club, hoping to open by the end of the year.

The original Sportsman's Club, immortalized in The Examiner as "a Polish embassy with drinks," featured the working-class Polish clientele and cheap beer that used to be much more prevalent in the area. Eisler says they're currently working on rezoning the building to add a backyard patio to the small 1,500 square-foot space. While they're still flushing out the concept, expect the "stylized but not kitschy" cocktails and decor elements Eisler and Heisner are known for.

The Sportsman's Club is the fourth new hospitality project Heisler have launched this year, joining The Revel Room, their Randolph Row project, and the former Ohio House Coffee Shop. Eisler says they've "been working on that little place for years," expect it to come to fruition by early 2014 at the latest.
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[Photo: Eater Chicago]