After five years of providing Lincoln Park with sand, indoor bags games and a venue in which to chug an entire fishbowl of brightly colored booze, Uncle Fatty's Rum Resort will close its doors May 4.
Co-owner Brian Galati today announced that he and his partners will expand next-door Headquarters Beercade, which they also run, into the space currently occupied by Uncle Fatty's.
"It was near and dear to our hearts," Galati said. "[Uncle Fatty's] was a concept everybody counted out in the beginning and here we are five years later."
Originally created as a seasonal, spring break-style pop-up bar in 2008, Uncle Fatty's gained a cult following for its cover band nights and tropical theme.
Headquarters, which opened in October, will add 7,000 square feet of space and will focus that new space on pinball machines. Owners say the 20 to 25 classic and contemporary machines they plan to add make it the largest pinball arcade in the Midwest. A new cocktail and beer menu also will follow.
"We want to create this new style of place in Lincoln Park," Galati said. "There's no exact time frame for its opening, but we look to aggressively work on it to get it ready as soon as possible."
kbernot@tribune.com @redeyeeatdrink
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