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The troubled days of nightclub/restaurant hybrid Nouveau Tavern appear to have finally come to an end. Their phone number is not in service and their Facebook page states that the business is "permanently closed." Attempts to reach ownership for further information and/or comment have been unsuccessful.
Neighbors began complaining about noise and fights surrounding the establishment shortly after the restaurant/bar/nightclub opened in October 2013. In April 2014 Nouveau Tavern was shut down over license issues and ownership went on the offense via social media, claiming unfair treatment by the city based on race. Four months later, the building's exterior was tagged with racist graffiti. No one was apprehended or charged with the vandalization.
One year after their license issues, the city issued a "drug and gang ordinance" violation to the owners, who closed up shop for seven days to work out how to move forward. A week later they re-opened without DJs and live music, choosing to focus on the restaurant only.
Nouveau Tavern's last post via Twitter, with the hashtag of #BlackBusinessesMatter, was on May 20 (see below).
#BlackBusinessesMatter - Stop Institutional Racism in Chicago #constantcontact http://t.co/9vBIfaDBkV
— Nouveau Tavern (@NouveauTavern) May 20, 2015
An image post on Facebook on June 8 simply showed a hand grasping the scales of justice with a plaque reading "City Hall" underneath it. No other messages have hit social media since then.
UPDATE: Co-owner Marsette Magnum wrote in with the following statement. "We closed as a result of ongoing litigation with the City of Chicago. We felt that as a direct result of the city's unfair sanctions we were unable to operate in the manner which was in the best interests of our employees and our client base." He added that "it became abundantly evident" that the city wanted them to close when they weren't able to show the Floyd Mayweather, Jr. versus Manny Pacquiao fight back in May.
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