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Epic Burger Is Now Cashless, Tamale Spaceship Closes Wicker Park Restaurant, More Intel

Plus, Half Acre and Honey Butter Fried Chicken are making beer out of corn muffins

Tamale Spaceship’s restaurant on Damen Avenue in Wicker Park
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—As more and more restaurants including Sweetgreen and Argo Tea stop accepting cash, a popular local restaurant chain is joining the credit card-only movement. Epic Burger, the eight-location fast-casual chain, stopped accepting cash on June 12, Crain’s reports. Founder David Friedman tells the publication he made the move to make operations speedier, safer, and reduce employee errors with counting money.

—The Wicker Park restaurant from still-popular food truck Tamale Spaceship is closed for the foreseeable future. A sign on the restaurant’s door at 1341 N. Damen Ave. relays that it was closed from May 30 until June 15 “as we catering [sic] private events.” But now, nearly a week after it was scheduled to reopen, owner Manny Hernandez says via email that the restaurant is closed to the public “until further notice” due to construction on the building’s facade and won’t commit to any reopening timeframe. DNAinfo reports that Hernandez and his team are still using its kitchen for catering orders. The restaurant opened in July 2014.

—Two extremely popular spots are teaming up for a very unique beer. Honey Butter Fried Chicken and Half Acre Beer Company are collaborating on a lager made out of corn muffins named Top Notch, which will be available at the brewery’s taproom from July 11 until Sept. 14, the Tribune reports.

—A $1,000 reward is now on offer to find the person who spray painted “Free Gaza” outside Naperville Jewish deli Schmaltz Delicatessen on Fathers Day, according to the Daily Herald. Local police are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.

—And finally, “Bar Rescue” kicks off its new season on July 2 with an episode on a little-known Chicago spot named Casual Tap. Check out the preview in the link above. More Chicago bars will be featured in the season, according to a news release.

Half Acre Beer Company

4257 North Lincoln Avenue, , IL 60618 (773) 754-8488 Visit Website

Tamale Spaceship

Moving Target!, Chicago, IL 60606 312-909-7009 Visit Website

Honey Butter Fried Chicken

3361 North Elston Avenue, , IL 60618 (773) 478-4000 Visit Website

Epic Burger

517 South State Street, , IL 60605 Visit Website