River North’s Getting a Parlor Pizza Bar

The rumors are true: the owners of Parlor Pizza Bar are opening a third pizzeria as they’ve taken over the ill-fated Ocean Cut space in River North. Soon after Ocean Cut — the doomed upscale seafood restaurant that went through numerous chefs and name changes — closed in March, word spread that Parlor’s owners had taken over the spacious dining room at 20 W. Kinzie Street. A liquor license application for the address confirmed Parlor is converting the space which once housed Keefer’s.

Parlor features craft beer and cocktails to complement its thin-crust pizzas. Locations in West Loop in Wicker Park are nightlife destinations while parents day drink with their children in strollers when the sun’s up. The business model is more of a sure thing compared to the expensive meals served at Ocean Cut. Bar owners along Division Street in Wicker Park have said nighttime business has been sagging, but Parlor has evolved, turning its space into more of a daytime destination.

The owners of Ocean Cut are the same ones who are behind Chicago Cut Steakhouse, the pricey restaurant along the Chicago River. They’re in court after Chicago Cut’s investors filed a lawsuit against them, accusing them of withholding financial information. The latest court date was June 1, according to Cook County records.

Parlor West Loop opened in 2014 with the Wicker Park location opening in 2016. The West Loop location was entrenched in an incident where an African American patron was denied entrance for wearing designer sweatpants in 2016.

A spokesperson for Parlor hasn’t responded to requests for confirmation since April, but the liquor license application has shown their cards. There’s also no word on an upcoming West Loop restaurant that was announced last year with the intention of opening this summer. Check back for updates.