Empire bar in Naperville growing 'out from the ashes'
The transformation from old building to new bar is beginning at last for the former Rosebud restaurant at 48 W. Chicago Ave. in downtown Naperville — even if only on the inside.
Phil Cullen, owner of the Ballydoyle Irish pubs in Aurora and Downers Grove, is turning the roughly 100-year-old building into a new craft beer bar called Empire by Ballydoyle in hopes of opening it early next year.
“It's going to be craft beers, craft burgers and then live music,” Cullen said. “It will have kind of a modern industrial look to it. It embraces the older buildings and industrial aspect of the area.”
Cullen said he got a building permit last week and started interior construction Monday to shore up structural issues at the southeast corner of Chicago Avenue and Main Street. Actually a combination of two buildings — a former hotel with three stories on the east and a former factory with two stories on the west — Cullen said the property needs more work than he originally realized.
The building has been vacant for about four years since a fire broke out in the previous location of Rosebud Italian restaurant, which relocated to Chicago Avenue and Washington Street. Original estimates when Cullen received a late-night liquor permit for Empire predicted the pub would open last December.
Now that work has begun, Cullen is developing the building to include a whiskey bar on the third floor of the former hotel, an eating area, bar and stage on the main floor and an outdoor patio above the former factory.
“The coolest thing is we have rooftop dining that will have a clear, retractable roof,” Cullen said.
On sunny days, no roof will be needed. But when rain starts to fall, diners can keep their seats — and their views of Naperville's Riverwalk and the DuPage River — from under the clear roof.
After structural work is finished, contractors will add new stain to the existing stone and wood exterior, install dark metal paneling and put up signs bearing the bar's name. The basement, which has been prone to flooding, will be filled with gravel so water can enter when the river overflows and trickle out again without causing damage when it recedes.
Designers are working to keep some of the stone and elements of the building's “character” visible from the inside, as well, Cullen said. Salvaged materials such as old windows will be used and a metal spiral staircase, found in an old building on the north side of Chicago, will be hung upside-down, strung with lights and used as a chandelier.
“I like history and I liked this spot on the river,” Cullen said about the site of the future bar. “I like taking something and building it out from the ashes. It's one of my challenges. I enjoy it.”