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Empirical Brewery has plans for a restaurant and brewpub inside the Mayne Stage in Rogers Park. That space, formerly called Act One Pub, closed in March 2016. Empirical owner Bill Hurley told DNAinfo that his team plans to add a five-barrel beer system at the site.
The new restaurant/brewpub should open in the late spring. Empirical opened a taproom in late 2015 in Ravenswood. It features a rotating selection of experimental brews. There are also snacks, but nothing for a meal, as drinkers mostly rely on food trucks for sustenance. That won’t be the case in Rogers Park, as it’s slated to be a full restaurant, but there’s no word yet on what kind of food it’ll serve.
The Mayne Stage resides in a 105-year-old building formerly known as the Morse Theatre. It was rechristened in 2010 as Mayne Stage after a multi-million-dollar renovation. The 300-seat venue hosted live music, but since last year the facility has focused on private events.
And no, the Rogers Park location won’t have feral cats like the Ravenswood famously does for protection against rodents who want to feast on the brewery’s grains. Stay tuned for more details.
