Weeks after mass shooting, Artis Restaurant and Lounge permanently closes

Chicago Tribune

4 days ago

Owners of the queer and women-owned Artis Restaurant and Lounge in Chicago's River North neighborhood said the decision to reopen or shut down for good following a mass shooting outside its doors earlier this month had nothing to do with public pressure or political hostility.
'I'm a mom and I'm a wife, and this is the second time that I have dodged gunfire this year,' said Brandi Artis, chef and co-owner of Artis. While Brandi and her wife, Brittany Artis, were on vacation in Puerto Rico earlier this year, she said they had to run and take cover from shots fired while out at a dinner. 'I got to go home to my kids twice this year. I couldn't have been that lucky.'
The Creole restaurant was temporarily closed after the July 2 shooting that Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling described as a moment of sheer horror. According to police reports, a dark vehicle drove past Artis at 311 W. Chicago Ave. at about 11 p.m. during an album release party for local drill rapper Mello Buckzz. Three people inside the car fired shots into a crowd on the sidewalk, police said. The car fled the scene, but the attackers shot 18 people in just a few seconds, killing four.
In November 2022, one person was killed and three others were wounded in a mass shooting at Hush Lounge Nightclub — which occupied the location before Artis opened. The city temporarily closed Hush after that shooting and also revoked its licenses, which eventually led to Hush's closure.
Following the July 2 shooting, Ald. Brendan Reilly, whose 42nd Ward includes Artis, called for the permanent closure of the space, pointing to a history of violence at the location and accusing the owners of misleading city officials. His comments circulated on social media quickly, with many calling it racist rhetoric.
'Despite early assurances from the new restaurant owner that this venue would support local artisans, foster inclusivity and serve as a hub for connection, creativity and joy — the owners decided to turn over their venue to promote a new rap album release,' Reilly said in a statement on July 3. 'It is clear the new operators were dishonest with the City about their plans for the venue and have now contributed to a devastating act of violence — just weeks after opening as a BYOB 'restaurant.''
Erica Wright, a close friend of the Artises for over two decades, criticized Reilly's comments in the days following the shooting, citing an interview with WMAQ-Ch. 5 Chicago, in which Reilly said Artis' owners bore some responsibility for the shooting by 'hosting an album release party for a local rapper on the Southeast Side who had rivals.'
'It just goes into the continued criminalization of Black people, as if we're a monolith of one particular type of people,' Wright said.
Reilly did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Artis, which opened April 10, was designed to fuse Creole, soul and American food with a mission to create an inclusive space for Chicago's LGBTQ community.
'Artis brings in doctors, lawyers, therapists, engineers, postal workers, sanitation workers, entertainers and maybe someone who is unemployed — it's a space for people,' Wright said.
Before opening Artis, Brandi worked in kitchens across the South and West sides and launched Simply Delicious Bartending and Catering and La Chica Bonita — a taco pop-up that took off at Nobody's Darling, Little Bureau Bar and the now-closed Tantrum nightclub. Brandi and Brittany also competed on the Food Network's 16th season of 'The Great Food Truck Race' in 2023.
Brandi said she hasn't gone back to the storefront since the night of the shooting, when she and her wife were behind the bar.
'The space protected us that evening, but the space was no longer for us,' she said. 'It's not something you're OK with. It's not something you just pick up and you say, 'OK, let's just keep moving.' … I wasn't OK with opening the doors again.'
Brandi, who is Black, Puerto Rican and Lebanese, moved to Chicago after her family felt unsafe raising their young children in their hometown in Missouri. She said she left to 'find freedom' because of a shift in constitutional laws such as Roe v. Wade and troubling discourse around LGBTQIA rights.
'It just definitely makes us realize that sometimes we can try to create a safe space and place, but it doesn't mean that we're wanted where we are, so I'm going to look for a place where I am celebrated and not just tolerated,' Brandi said.
She said she feels the same way about closing Artis.
'My mother taught me that a long time ago — go somewhere and be somewhere where people love you. So I will look for a space that loves me. I will look for a place that I love and a place that will be loved by other people.'
A GoFundMe to help the couple pay for expenses while the restaurant was closed has shifted its goal 'toward the rebuilding of another future for Chef Brandi and Dr. Brittany Artis.' As of Tuesday, the campaign had raised more than $4,400 of its $80,000 goal.
Artis' website and Instagram account will remain active as Brandi and Brittany continue their catering program. The seasonings and sauces used in the restaurant will also be available to purchase soon.
Brandi said walking away from the restaurant meant they lost all of their investments, including their deposit. She hopes the GoFundMe will help as they plan their next move. And they hope the next space will be a 'safe place that serves people.'
'Right now, we're just going to spend the last part of this year watching our kids go to school and see what our lives look like a little bit after just healing from the trauma of what we went through as business owners, as women, as mothers and as people,' Brandi said.