Tippling Bros. Statement Says Tippling Hall Is Shuttered

There could be change in River North, as The Tippling Bros. sent out a statement this morning saying that the Chicago restaurant which bears the cocktail mavens' name is closed. However, Tippling Hall's owners, Mercadito Hospitality, have yet to confirm the shutter. The restaurant featured beverages from the New York-based duo of Paul Tanguay and Tad Carducci — The Tippling Bros. — who said today they are "saddened by the closing."

"We were informed by a managing partner that the restaurant is closed as of today," Carducci wrote via email.

Tippling Hall seemingly began on shaky financial ground when it opened in October 2014, and those issues continue to plague operations, according to the statement from Tanguay and Carducci. Mercadito hasn't returned phone calls or emails to confirm the shutter. Meanwhile, Tanguay and Carducci cited Mercadito financial issues that "were beyond our control."

Though their company's name was etched on signage, the Tippling Bros. said they "relinquished operational involvement immediately after its opening, and ultimately, any ownership stake." The Tippling Bros. are no stranger to Chicago, having supplied the kegged cocktails to now-shuttered Mercadito Hospitality hotspot Tavernita. It closed in August 2014, seemingly collapsing under the burden of tax debt after two years of operations.

Around noon, Tippling Hall tweeted about a football special, so the closure seemingly hasn't yet happened. Likewise, OpenTable continues to take reservations for the restaurant. There were plans announced last year for a Tippling Hall in Las Vegas and a Mercadito in Washington D.C., which was scrapped. There's no word if the struggles in Chicago will affect those in other cities.

Here's the full statement issued by Tanguay and Carducci:

The Tippling Bros. are saddened by the closing of Tippling Hall. We poured our hearts, souls and a fair amount of sweat and blood into the creation of a restaurant and bar that we hoped would endure for many years. However, due to financial issues within the company which were beyond our control, Tippling Bros. relinquished operational involvement immediately after its opening, and ultimately, any ownership stake.

While we truly hoped that the space would thrive, with our without our involvement, success was unsustainable.
Tippling Bros. would like to thank the many devoted fans and regular guests of Tippling Hall, as well as the amazing staff, for a great year of love and loyalty.

UPDATE: A Mercadito Hospitality rep wrote back and said the company have more news on Tuesday morning.

UPDATE: Mercadito Hospitality did not provide any news on Tuesday morning.