I think it's important to have a gay bar in the northwest suburbs."īrumbaugh tagged Hunters as "an iconic part of the community for over 30 years," and said that when he heard the bar was for sale, "I jumped at the opportunity and I'm delighted that PhoenixBar will continue to serve the gay community from this premier northwest suburban location." But we decided that the best offer was from Robert, particularly because he wanted to keep it as a gay bar. "We did have other options people who were interested in doing other things with the property, with some very good offers. And after a little negotiating here and there, things worked out. Hunter put the bar for sale in the spring and said he received multiple other offers, but "we felt was the perfect selection for everyone. "Of course, I'm very emotionally tied to the bar, but I think it was the best decision for everyone involveda good decision for the customers, for the employees, and for myself." "It's been a roller-coaster of emotions," Hunter said, fighting back tears. Hunter and his partner, Patrick Volkert, have been together for about eight years. He lives primarily in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and still owns Hunters Palm Springs in California. I don't want to work forever," Hunter said Sept. It's just a good time I turn 60 years-old this year … and am just planning for the future. "I just felt it was time, time to move on. It will, reportedly, be closed for a week or longer for renovations/modifications, and then reopen as The PhoenixBar. Robert Brumbaugh, who also owns Progress Bar on Halsted Street in Lakeview, purchased Hunters, which is officially closing after business Sunday, Sept. 13, Hunter announced he had sold the long-standing video dance bar on Higgins Road, with 5,000 square feet inside and almost 2,000 more square feet outside on the patio. He had to walk to the bar for its opening.įlash-forward 31 years, almost to the day, and Hunter is walking away from Hunters for good. Mark Hunter was driving to the grand opening of Hunters Chicago, a gay bar in northwest suburban Elk Grove Village, on that Friday in mid-October 1982, when his car broke down several blocks away. 12.This article shared 17102 times since Sat Sep 14, 2013 Demolition is scheduled for the week of Oct. The lot will be cleared for future development by the Village. After those plans fell through, Elk Grove Village closed on the property this summer for $1.35 million.
Barrington business man Sam Cecola, who is the owner of the Admiral Theatre strip club in Chicago, purchased the location in 2018 with plans to renovate the bar, according to Daily Herald. The legacy nightclub featured a 6,500 square foot space with a capacity of nearly 600. In 2013, Hunters rebranded as Phoenix Bar & Nightclub with some big shoes to fill. Higgins Road is only minutes from all of Chicagoland via I-90, and is only minutes from O'Hare. For more than 37 years, Hunters was the premier gay nightclub in the Chicago suburbs. Sometime next week, a familiar home for thousands of Chicago area gays will face the wrecking ball as the legendary Hunters Nightclub in suburban Elk Grove Village will soon become a 1.5-acre grass lot.