“I know girls that come in here and always say, ‘I always feel comfortable when I come here.’ You didn’t feel like you were in a bar where people were gonna bother you,” Duffy said. “This is a regular’s bar.”ĭuffy said it’s long been a space for anyone and where everyone respected each other. “When certain people walk in, they sit in a certain chair and you put that TV on,” Duffy said. The two see Augie’s as similar to “Cheers.” She and customer-turned-bartender Tina Morales said most bars in the neighborhood have become “Instagram-y and corporate,” something you would never get from Augie’s. Jami Duffy has been working as a bartender and manager at Augie’s since the beginning. “It’s got that character that people love.” “Not much changed, and that’s the glory about ,” said Dave Duran, who has been going to Augie’s since its doors opened. Nearby factories have closed and expensive homes have been developed in their place - but Augie’s stayed the same. The area around Augie’s looks a lot different since it opened at the corner of Wrightwood Avenue and Altgeld Street. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago Patrons sit down for a drink at Augie’s Booze and Schmooze. We’ve never been in here and not had a good time.” Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago A photo of the late Roger “Ozzie” Babilla at Augie’s, 1721 W. This is a neighborhood bar,” regular Justin Smith said. But for now, last call is Tuesday afternoon. Its liquor license expires Tuesday, and the bar, under new owner Isabelle Nigro, will start an overhaul that will take nearly a year to finish.Ī larger bar, new menu and an event space all are part of the plans, Nigro said, but the intent is to keep the Augie’s vibe. The pub was put up for sale in April, and longtime owner and neighborhood pillar Roger “Ozzie” Babilla died a month later. Since then, it has been a space for softball teams, retired neighbors, holiday enthusiasts and families to connect, toss a volleyball around, drink a beer and raise money for Misericordia. opened in 1994, when the neighborhood was more industrial than residential. LINCOLN PARK - Longtime patrons will gather at Augie’s Booze and Schmooze one last time on Tuesday before the beloved bar closes for several months.
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