Double take: Longman & Eagle

Although the “boutique” style has come open to many interpretations, a few properties still boast the true nature of its origins—exclusive, small and unique. Longman & Eagle, a tavern and inn that opened this past October in Chicago, is serving up fantastic fare (and 30 kinds of whiskey) amid seriously stripped-down style. While the concept of Longman & Eagle is a brainchild of four friends, Bruce Finkelman, Cody Hudson, Robert McAdams and Pete Toals, Finkelman manages the property and oversees the nitty-gritty of the operational end.

Construction issues

The space was originally a two-floor dilapidated apartment building but the team began discussing the possibility of turning the upstairs into something resembling a boutique hotel, where patrons could head upstairs after a long night of carousing in the first-floor bar and tavern.

“The whole project is an inn, really,” Finkelman said. “It’s not a bar on the first floor and an inn on the second floor. It’s just got different components. One of the challenges is that although there is a downstairs and upstairs component, they live as one. When someone goes to sleep at night they don’t still want to be part of the downstairs.”

Finkelman said that while he wanted both personalities of the space present at all times, he had to carefully consider the desires and concerns of the guests.

“While quite a few acoustical issues were addressed, it’s really more of an education process for guests about what to expect,” he said. “It’s just not for everybody. I’ve talked to many people who think it’s wonderful, and some people who complain that someone who came in was really loud.”

New features

Post-conversion, the first-floor tavern features a wooden floor; a staggered, wood-scrap ceiling; brick walls and utilitarian pendant lighting. The effect is decidedly masculine yet undeniably cozy.

Finkelman said that the hardest part about converting the building from an apartment to an inn was navigating the bureaucratic red tape in a city that didn’t quite understand the concept of the project. It took four months to open the tavern and 10 months to open.

“The inn concept dates back to early Chicago history,” Finkelman said. “For the modern times, there weren’t too many rules on the books to go with. Another big issue was figuring out ways to use the small footprint we had to work with.”

The six bedrooms upstairs command $75 to $200 in daily rate depending on square footage and amenities (like the size of the bed or whether or not it has a bathtub), and also boast different design schemes. Original local art is featured as well as intricate uses of wood, raw brick and eclectic ephemera.

“The struggle is between business and art; you have to comply with both sides,” Finkelman said.

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