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We’re only a few weeks into 2022, but Chicago is already losing another cherished institution in the new year: Lost Lake, the Logan Square tropical bar renowned for its rum-based drinks and funky decor, will shutter for good after January 15.
Lost Lake management announced the news in an Instagram post Friday afternoon, citing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent surge in cases which dampened the bar’s business during a normally bustling holiday season. The bar will celebrate its seventh anniversary on January 13 with one final weekend of in-person service before closing permanently after its final service on January 15.
“We’ve been trying to ward off this moment since #flattenthecurve, but as it turns out, a super-spreader surge that wiped-out what would usually be our busiest time of year was the last little straw this camel could handle,” Lost Lake's owners wrote in the post.
Over the past seven years, Lost Lake’s became one of Chicago’s most lauded bars for its sophisticated roster of tropical drinks and rare rums, picking up national accolades like a coveted spot on the World's 50 Best Bars list in 2018. As the pandemic ravaged Chicago’s bar industry, co-owners Shelby Allison and Paul McGee pivoted to a robust takeout format, offering to cocktail kits, to-go cocktails and the subscription program Lost Lake at Home before reopening for in-person service in September 2021 with an outdoor patio and new food menu. Lost Lake—which was originally billed as a tiki bar—also underwent a rebranding process during the pandemic, dropping the "tiki" moniker in an effort to disentangle its tropical offerings from the legacies of colonialism and cultural appropriation.
Want to have one last banana daiquiri before Lost Lake closes its doors? The bar’s only offering to-go service this weekend, but you can swing by (or make a reservation here) January 13–15 from 5pm–midnight for in-person service and to snag bottled cocktails and merch.
“Maybe someday we’ll be back in one form or another, but it looks like this is it for now,” the owners wrote on Instagram. “Thank you so much for all the support, from our very first day until this one. You’ve made a lot of dreams come true over here.”
Secret Sound, the speakeasy-style cocktail bar inside of Time Out Market that features drinks created by Lost Lake co-owner Paul McGee, won't be affected by the closure. Located on the food hall's second floor, Secret Sound will still serve a menu of tropical cocktails, opening at 5pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.