Big Star Ditches Cash-Only, Starts Accepting Credit Cards Today

Starting today, you won't have to make sure you bring cash or pay ATM fees at Big Star. One Off Hospitality's ever-jammed honky tonk taqueria and whiskey bar in Wicker Park will begin accepting credit cards today for the first time in its seven-year history, and won't raise prices to offset credit card fees.

Partner Terry Alexander says that the decision stems from neighborhood change and customer demand. "When Big Star went into the iconic space that once housed the Pontiac Bar, our goal was to try and keep the soul of Wicker Park alive and we chose our form of payment as cash-only, just like many neighborhood bars and restaurants did before us," Alexander writes in an email. "We have decided to accept credit cards because 1. it's what our guests want; 2. we need to continue to move forward just as the neighborhood has; and 3. technology has advanced."

Alexander also says that he's confident that accepting plastic won't slow down service at Big Star. But you'll probably still have to endure those infamously long waits for a table.