Overview

• The Violet Hour first opened at 1520 N. Damen Avenue in Wicker Park in 2007, drawing patrons through an unmarked storefront into a candlelit space governed by strict house rules.
• It won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program in 2015 and popularized cocktails like the Paper Plane and the Art of Choke.
• Magic Carpet LLC, under Newcastle Investors, purchased the building in 2012, and talks over extensive plumbing repairs under its lease fell through.
• Its alumni have founded acclaimed venues nationwide, including Bar DeVille, Sable Kitchen & Bar and Friends of Friends.
• A temporary shutdown due to unexpected building damage in early June gave way to a permanent closure notice when landlord negotiations proved unresolvable.