Fifty/50 & Benjamin Schiller To Open A ‘Theatrical’ Bar & More In River North

Benjamin Schiller, the talented bartender who’s behind the creative drinks at The Sixth in Lincoln Square and The Berkshire Room inside the ACME Hotel downtown, will helm a new bar inside the Dana Hotel & Spa in River North. That was among the announcements Fifty/50 Restaurant Group made today, as details have begun trickling out on what will replace Vertigo Sky Lounge, the rooftop space that closed in January.

The news drop also included a seafood restaurant on the Dana’s ground floor which would eventually replace Freestyle Food + Drink. Fifty/50 has been expanding their portfolio of restaurants, and this would be a similar step to opening Steadfast, their fine-dining restaurant on the ground floor of the Kimpton Gray Hotel.

The remodeled rooftop space will specialize in large-format, sharable drinks, according to a news release. Fifty/50 and Dana haven’t shared a name, but plan to open in early 2017.

Getting back to Schiller: His new bar, located on the hotel’s second floor, is only described as “theatrical.” No, bartenders won’t be sharing lines from Hamilton. It’s about the presentation of drinks. A Fifty/50 spokeswoman clarified and said the drinks will be “over the top and extravagant.” After what Fifty/50 did with Bunny Slope at the ACME, in terms of hot tub/ski resort retro fun, perhaps they’re looking for inspiration from Tom Cruise’s 1988 film, Cocktail.

The Dana is operated by Rebel Hospitality, the same group behind the ACME.