New River North Country Restaurant & Bar to Open in Summer 2012
CHICAGO – Buzz has already been building around RJ and Jerrod Melman’s latest project in River North – a country concept at 435 N. Clark Street that was announced several weeks ago and slated to open in summer 2012. A detail that has been kept quiet, until now, is a new partnership that has been forged between the Melmans and two of the most respected names in the city’s country music scene – Joe’s Bar founders Ed Warm and Tom DiSanto.
“Jerrod and I couldn’t think of two better people than Ed and Tom to
partner with on our new country bar,” said RJ Melman. “We really
respect the work they’ve done building Joe’s into the success it is and
that is evident by the A-list country acts they frequently host there.
When it comes to country music, these guys definitely know what they’re
doing.”
The Melmans, Warm and DiSanto are not saying yet whether or not country acts will perform live at the new yet-unnamed bar – but you can expect to hear the best in country music while grabbing a beer and enjoying southern-inspired dishes and authentic barbecue at the space.
Joe’s (“on Weed Street” as many say) has become synonymous with country music in Chicago and is often called “Nashville North” by country fans
and music industry executives alike. Adding credibility, Joe’s was named the nightclub of the year by the Academy of Country Music in Los Angeles and has gained a stellar reputation for attracting big name country stars including Keith Urban, Martina McBride, Eric Church, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert and Sugarland, to name just a few.
The Melmans have equally proven their understanding of the dining scene in River North with the success of HUB 51 (51 W. Hubbard) and its lower level nightclub, SUB 51 and next door hot spot Paris Club (59 W. Hubbard) and upper level exclusive nightlife destination, Studio Paris. The duo also has two popular casual eateries out west in Santa Monica, M Street Kitchen and Stella Rossa Pizza Bar. Their newest restaurant venture, RPM Italian (52 W. Illinois) – with celebrity couple Bill and Giuliana Rancic and acclaimed chef Doug Psaltis – is expected to open next month.
“We’ve enjoyed getting to know RJ and Jerrod over the past several years and really look forward to this new venture together,” said Warm. “They are definitely making their mark on Chicago’s dining scene and we’re all pretty excited to bring a totally new country western experience to River North.”
The Melmans became fans of country music in part due to their friendship with former Chicago Bears tight end Greg Olsen, who is a big country music fan and a longtime supporter of Joe’s.
“From spending time at Joe’s, we know that there are a lot of country music fans in Chicago and we wanted to create a new place just for them,” said Jerrod Melman. “We hope people just hang out, listen to music and enjoy some really great southern food.”