Following a three-month closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bottleneck Management announced the re-opening of its Chicagoland locations. In the suburbs, City Works Eatery & Pour House in Vernon Hills (929 N. Milwaukee Ave.) and Schaumburg (1850 E. Golf Rd.), along with Old Town Pour House in Naperville (1703 Freedom Dr.) and Oak Brook (8 Oak Brook Center) will open on Wednesday, July 1 at 11:30 a.m., while City Works Eatery & Pour House in Wheeling (365 W. Dundee Rd.) will open on Wednesday, July 8 at 11:30 a.m. Bottleneck’s Chicago locations, including Old Town Pour House, South Branch Tavern & Grille, and Sweetwater Tavern and Grille, will also open on July 8.

City Works and Old Town Pour House remain vibrant and energetic restaurants with a focus on classic American food and an expansive beer and beverage list. With spacious interiors and large outdoor patios with socially distanced tables, private dining areas, over 90 craft beer handles eight wines on draft, growlers to-go, and cocktail kits to bring home, City Works and Old Town Pour House offer something for everyone this summer.

“It’s so exciting to be able to re-open our doors, bring our team members back on, and begin serving our guests again, safely and in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and our local authorities,” says Angela Zoiss, Vice President of Marketing for Bottleneck Management. “We are ecstatic to be able to re-connect with our guests in Chicagoland and around the country and do what we do best.”

After conducting a survey to guests to gather feedback on their comfort level returning to the restaurant, Bottleneck Management’s operations teams have implemented new measures to ensure the safety of guests and all employees. These new procedures include mandating employees to wear masks and wash their hands every 30 minutes, setting up hand sanitizing stations throughout the restaurant and patio, scheduling sanitization of all shared surfaces every 30 minutes, limiting physical contact and touchpoints, and maintaining proper social distancing guidelines. Bottleneck Management has also created a new staff position, the Shift Safety Manager, to ensure protocol is being followed by all staff.

City Works and Old Town Pour House offer a well-rounded menu for dine-in guests with a few new menu items. The menu includes bar bites and appetizers such as beer battered Fried Pickles, Nashville Hot or Southern Fried Popcorn Chicken with ranch dressing, and the new Queso Dip with hot chorizo, pepper jack cheese sauce, queso fresco, green onions, and micro cilantro, served with corn tortilla chips. The menu also offers burgers and handhelds like the signature City Works Burger with aged white cheddar, shredded iceberg lettuce, vine-ripened tomato, red onion, and a dill pickle, and the buttermilk breaded Fried Chicken Sandwich made with spicy bread and butter pickles and Carolina mustard BBQ sauce on a brioche bun. City Works also serves the Impossible Burger™ topped with shredded iceberg lettuce, vine-ripened tomatoes, red onion, and vegan roasted-garlic horseradish aioli. Entrées include Smoked BBQ Ribs, City Works Chopped Salad, and the new Tex Mex Mac & Cheese with spicy chorizo, roasted jalapeno, jack cheese sauce, crispy tortilla strips, and cilantro over cavatappi.

Both City Works and Old Town Pour House also host a Rock n’ Roll themed brunch on the weekends until 3 p.m. complete with Rock n’ Roll music, unique dishes, and rockstar service. Beginning on Saturday, July 4, the menu features dishes like Mother’s Little Helper bowl with smoked cheddar grits, braised pork belly, breakfast sausage, and fried egg, topped with smoked tomato and charred scallion relish and Chak Shuka Khan with spicy tomato sauce, sunny-side up eggs, and goat cheese served with a toasted garlic baguette. Groups can also indulge in shareable dishes like Dock of the Beignets derived from Café du Monde’s famous recipe for French doughnuts served with chocolate hazelnut sauce and mixed berry jam for dipping.

Brunch beverage offerings include the Beermosa made with the restaurant’s signature beer, Bottlenectar, Tanqueray gin, and orange juice; the Flapjack Old Fashioned made with rye whiskey, butterscotch Schnapps, candied maple syrup, bacon, and orange bitters; and the Hot Blooded, an 18 oz. spicy Bloody Mary crowned with fried onion rings and garnished with a celery stalk and a skewer loaded with candied bacon, housemade spicy pickles, a cheese curd, an olive, cornichon, pepperoni, pickled jalapeños, and a hard-boiled egg. Guests can also order mimosas by the flight by choosing four flavors with options such as classic, Bellini, Aperol, rosé, paloma, tropical, and more.

Happier Hours continue with both food and drink specials every weekday from 3-6 p.m. Guests who would like to enjoy food and beverages from home, such as the Moscow Mule Kits or a growler of one of the 90 beers on draft, can check on the website in the coming weeks for options for delivery and takeout. For more information and hours of operation, visit online at https://www.cityworksrestaurant.com and https://www.oldtownpourhouse.com and on Instagram @CityWorksUS, @otphoakbrook, and @otphnaperville. 

Hours of operation:

Old Town Pour House Oak Brook: Monday-Thursday 11:30 am-10 pm, Friday 11:30 am-12 am, Saturday 10 am-12 am, Sunday 10 am-10 pm.

Old Town Pour House Naperville: Monday-Thursday 11:30 am-9 pm, Friday 11:30 am-11 pm, Saturday 10 am-11 pm, Sunday 10 am-9 pm. 

City Works Eatery & Pour House Schaumburg: Monday-Thursday 11:30 am-10 pm, Friday 11:30 am-12 am, Saturday 10 am-12 am, Sunday 10 am-10 pm.

City Works Eatery & Pour House Vernon Hills: Monday-Thursday 11:30 am-10 pm, Friday 11:30 am-12 am, Saturday 10 am-12 am, Sunday 10 am-10 pm.