Rumors Around the Sloop

Word on the street is that there are some businesses opening and closing:

One reader writes:

It's come to my attention that Cafe Mediterra (formerly the Gourmand coffee house) will close it's doors this Sunday night . . . making this the third business in a row (on that block) to go dark. GNC closed maybe two years ago and the Doggie Bath House folded last month. I've heard that the owner of this property block has been really jacking-up the rent on these businesses despite the down economy. Now the good news: Scuttlebutt on the street is that a couple of local guys want to develop the entire three, recently closed, street-level properties into one big bar/eatery! I can't give a name but it should surface pretty quick as my source indicated that this new establishment was shooting for a St. Patrick's Day 2010 opening. Personally, I'm really bummed to see my fav coffee shop go but I'll keep my fingers crossed regarding the potential new place.

With another bar/restaurant on Dearborn you could almost argue that this area is a legitimate 'nightime' destination that rivals other neighborhoods. We had a poll a couple of months ago asking which corridor in the South Loop would be the best bar/restaurant/shopping corridor and Printer's Row came in second to Motor Row. Although that might be the case in 10 years, in our opinion Printer's Row beats Motor Row currently. Printer's Row has Hackney's, Kasey's Taver, Bar Louie, the Jazz Showcase, Villians Bar & Grill and Blackies. We will keep our fingers crossed for this new place as well!

In other restaurant news, another reader writes:

Thought I'd drop you a tip and let you know something's going into the old Sam's location at Wabash and Roosevelt. It's gonna be a restaurant/lounge. From my contact: they purchased the furniture/appliances from the old Blue Water Grill that was at 520 N. Dearborn that has since lost it's lease and closed down...maybe a bit upscale? I'll let ya know if I hear any more!

That location would be a great spot for a restaurant, however it's a large amount of space. It seems like it would be better suited for a sports bar due to its proximity to soldier field, but something is better then nothing in our opinion.

Maybe the owner of the building is willing to split up the space. If that's the case then a upscale restaurant could fit. Good news if this one is true.

UPDATE: We walked by the old Sam's space and it appears that there are a lot of chairs and tables stacked up. Does this give more validity to the email above? Maybe. Take it for what it's worth.

(Hat Tip to JC & KG)