New Homeslice Restaurant May Get Outdoor Seating

Owners of a new, nearby Lincoln Park restaurant are hoping diners can enjoy the summertime weather this year.

A Tuesday night neighborhood meeting may help decide if its feasible for Homeslice, 938 W. Webster Ave., to have a 16-person sidewalk cafe opened between 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily along Bissell Street. The log cabin-style restaurant, which boasts fresh, high-end pizzas and great salads, opened in late March. 

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Chicago's sidewalk café season runs from March 1 through Dec. 1. And the areas don’t simply appear, members of the Sheffield Neighborhood Association stressed in a recent newsletter.

The city imposes strict guidelines on their operations and a business wanting approval must submit a detailed application including the exact size of the proposed sidewalk café area, photographs, seating plans and landscaping requirements.

There are 108 outdoor cafes within the portions of the Chicago Police Department's 18th and 19th districts that fall in the 32nd and 43rd wards, according to city data. Those areas encompass Lincoln Park, though some Lake View businesses may be included in that 100, as well. Unlike other licenses, sidewalk café ones require business owners to reapply each year.

Sheffield neighborhood sidewalk cafes last season included Starbucks, McGee’s, Tarantino’s, Ja Grill, Athenian Room, Glascott’s, Argo Tea, Hanabi, John’s Place, El’s Kitchen, Sal’s Deli, Café Floriole, Vrai Amour, Chez Moi, and Webster’s Wine Bar. David’s Tea has also applied, according to the neighborhood association.

"The city expects sidewalk cafés to enhance the neighborhood," the latest SNA newsletter says. "The landscaping requirements of the ordinance are very specific. At least 50 percent of the café boundary must be covered with planter boxes of a minimum size and contain live plants. … Sidewalk cafes are usually welcomed by our 

neighborhood. However, should a business not comply with the City’s strict guidelines of sidewalk café operations, a fine of $200 to $500 will be issued for each offense."

READ: Sidewalk Café Issues: Now’s the Time to Speak Up

Staff from 43rd Ward Ald. Michele Smith's office said Monday that they have yet to deny a restaurant its sidewalk cafe this season, "but we have made suggestions to certain restaurant's plans both in size and operations" based on community feedback.

"When a new restaurant to the 43rd Ward is looking to do a sidewalk cafe, we always send the new restaurant to the community association for input," said Matt Rich, Smith's director of zoning and urban development. "In some cases, such as for Marge's Still on Sedgwick, we may conduct a community meeting to address some of the neighbors' concerns and questions regarding the proposed sidewalk cafe operations."

Two community meetings were held in the spring 2012 to discuss new sidewalk café applications for Vrai Amour and Derby, according to the SNA. 

"Many community members attended the Derby meeting, including 32nd Ward Alderman (Scott) Waguespack and his staff, and the appeals for two sidewalk cafés, one on Magnolia and another on Webster, were denied by the Alderman," its newsletter says.

Based upon the community input and the recommendation of the Neighborhood Relations Committee, the SNA board voted at its August 2012 meeting not to object to the application for the Vrai Amour application. Smith approved the application.

Its her office that's hosting Tuesday's Homeslice meeting in conjunction with the Sheffield Neighborhood Association. The group's community relations manager, Patty Hayes, has been handling the restaurant's application process. She said she has not received any negative feedback during the past few weeks regarding the business' proposed sidewalk cafe.

"I received probably 12 e-mails in the last four days supporting it," she said. "But as far as Homeslice goes, they've done everything right coming into the community. We have a lot of support. But we never know how these meetings are going to go. There could be people who show up … that could be highly opposed. I don't know that. That's why we have the meeting."

Oregon natives Clay Hamilton and Josh Iachelli are behind Homeslice. They did not return phone messages left on Friday.

Located directly across from popular bar, State, the inside of the venue has a woodsy feel. Stacked logs separate the areas from each other and giant dissected trees act as table tops. Copper lighting accents dangle from the ceiling.

"It's got a good vibe," Iachelli said before the restaurant opened. "Everyone wants to be able to walk to their pizza place. They need this here."

Tuesday's community meeting will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at St. Vincent DePaul Parish Center, 1010 W. Webster Ave.