Rolling Meadows sports bar hosts socially distanced Bears game tailgate
Football and tailgating go hand in hand, even during a pandemic - as long as social distancing applies.
That was the case Thursday night when Rep's Place in Rolling Meadows aimed to re-create the pregame atmosphere outside Soldier Field with a parking lot watch party for the Bears prime-time showdown with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Owner Mike Reppe had an 18-by-18-foot screen installed so fans could gather to watch the game safely outside the sports bar and grill along Kirchoff Road.
Reservations were required to get one of the 30 parking lot tables or 10 on the patio for the event. Per social distancing guidelines, attendees had to stay at their tables, unless going to the concession stand or bathrooms, where face coverings were required.
Before kickoff, fans were treated to a live performance by the Donner Brothers band.
Reppe said he came up with the idea while playing cards online last month with a group of friends - many of them Bears season ticket holders who missed the experience of watching a game with other fans and the pregame festivities.