Ravenswood’s Empirical Brewery is expanding into Rogers Park. The beer maker, which opened a taproom at Ravenswood and Foster Avenues in 2015, will take over the former Act One Pub space at 1328 W Morse Ave, adjacent to the Mayne Stage theater.
As reported Monday by DNAinfo, Empirical will lease both the restaurant space and a neighboring storefront, where it will set up a five-barrel beer system to produce on site. Unlike the brewery’s Ravenswood location, the new space will also serve a full food menu, as Act One did until closing last year, when Mayne Stage (owned by Col. Jennifer Pritzker’s management company, Tawani Enterprises) shifted to a private event space.
Empirical is one of a growing number of craft beer outfits in and around Ravenswood, including Half Acre, Begyle, Band of Bohemia and Dovetail, but the new brewpub will be a first for Rogers Park, where it should be eagerly welcomed. The new pub is expected to be up and running by late spring.
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