West Loop’s 25-Year-Old Vivo Closing After Selling To Bucktown's AMK

After 25 years in the West Loop, Vivo’s last day of service will be Sunday. The owners of AMK Kitchen Bar, a Bucktown restaurant that opened in June 2015, have purchased Vivo's Randolph Restaurant Row space and in late July they’ll open a pop-up concept called Nosh & Booze, which they’ll run through the rest of 2016, according to an AMK spokeswoman. The AMK crew will eventually open a permanent restaurant sometime next year in the space.

Vivo, which serves Italian fare, opened in 1991 and was the final vestige of KDK Restaurant Group, which also counted since-shuttered Red Light and still-open Gioco in their portfolio. KDK disbanded in 2011, while former partner Dan Krasny became the sole proprietor at Vivo. Read what Krasny had to say as Vivo celebrated its 20th anniversary back in 2011.

AMK’s partners return for this new project. Steve Tsonis handles operations, Brendan Downing focuses on managerial and business relations and Rob Luke Jr. concentrates on the front of the house. While they polish their permanent restaurant plan for 2017, Nosh & Booze gives AMK a chance to try different items and serve their own food opposed to keep Vivo’s. Nosh & Booze’s menu is inspired by "American street food" and they’ll also serve weekend brunch.

"We wanted to have a bit of fun and to make food that we really loved, while we prepped the space for our next concept," Tsonis said in a statement. "Nosh & Booze will give us the chance to show off unique food and beverage point of view to an already vibrant neighborhood, which is really exciting for the whole team."

Check back later for more on this addition to Randolph Street, and say goodbye to Vivo on Sunday.