Blind Barber, NYC’s Hip Barbershop, Speakeasy Bar & Eatery, Coming to Chicago

Chicago’s booming and rapidly-changing Fulton Market district is getting an ultra-hip men’s grooming, drinking, and eating establishment from the coasts. Blind Barber, an upscale barbershop during the day and a hidden cocktail den and eatery at night that began in NYC and expanded to Los Angeles, is working towards opening a Chicago location at 948 W. Fulton Market, co-founder and owner Josh Boyd confirms.

“We have been working on the project for over a year and we’re getting close and getting very excited,” Boyd writes in an email. He adds that they’re starting construction “any day now” and are shooting for a summer opening.

Blind Barber is a hip concept where customers can get a haircut, a shave, a drink and a bite during the day. But in the evenings, mostly when the cuts are done, they turn into neo-throwback speakeasy-style bars serving well-regarded cocktails and other libations. They also serve food all day, beginning with breakfast, before moving onto chef-driven items during lunch and dinner hours. Check out a Travel Channel segment on the original Manhattan location for a look at the concept.

Boyd says the Chicago location will serve a similar menu to the LA outpost, which offers 20 different grilled cheese sandwiches “with all different cheeses, flavors and styles,” three tacos, and salads. Drinks will include its six house cocktails as well as a seasonal cocktail menu that will rotate twice a year. Check out that menu here for an idea. The LA (Culver City) location has also hosted some major entertainment acts, including multiple Dave Chappelle performances last year, but sadly the Chicago outpost won’t host any.

The Chicago location heads to one of the most desirable areas in the country — Fulton Market, just off the corner from being across from the Google Building. It’s three doors east from La Sirena Clandestina, across the street from Next and The Aviary, and on the same strip that includes The Publican and Duck Duck Goat. Hospitality projects slated to open nearby include a Kuma’s Corner, Punch Bowl Social, Shack Shack, Nobu, and multiple hotels.

Google Streetview

Like much of the area, 948 W. Fulton Market is a former meat distributor (Daily Meat Supply) that is being repurposed into a hospitality juggernaut. “The neighborhood is unreal with all the building and brands that have taken up in the area,” Boyd writes. Stay tuned for more.