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Tortoise Club moving forward, slowly
8-Feb-12 – Like the land-dwelling reptile it is named after, Tortoise Club is taking its time transforming a completely empty, blank canvas of a retail space at Marina City into “a classic Chicago city club.” Keene Addington, former CEO of Flat Top Grill, who has been working on plans for his new restaurant for more than a year, says it will be “awhile” before the restaurant opens, but no earlier than spring. New renderings offer a glimpse of the interior, as well as what the front door will look like…
For now, you will have to use your imagination. This is what the space – a Crunch fitness facility from 1999 to 2008 – looked like on Tuesday. (Click on images to view larger versions.)
“The Tortoise Club’s interior is a classic Chicago city club,” reads promotional material provided by Addington. “The Tortoise Club’s décor will be rich with Chicago paintings, sketches, and artifacts displayed throughout the space including vintage mahogany from the original Pump Room,” referring to a restaurant formerly located in the nearby Gold Coast neighborhood. The menu is described as a “contemporary take on American classic cuisine” with “artisan cocktails” and “fine American west coast and French wines.” (Below) Rendering of the main entrance to Tortoise Club.
Addington signed a lease at Marina City and applied for a liquor license last November. So far, no building permits for the space have been approved. The restaurant will consume little more than half of the street-level space on the east side of the building in which Hotel Sax is located, leaving the north end of the space still available for leasing.
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