Plans for Corgan’s Chicagoland tea house brewing 11:22 pm // Sunday, January 1, 2012
Posted by susan in billy corgan, business, chicago, food, interview, news.trackback
The tea house Billy Corgan alluded to in a mid-December tweet appears to be becoming a reality. In an interview with Eater Chicago, Corgan describes his intents for his latest business venture, stating that he is aiming for a retro 1930s French-Chinese vibe and hopes the tea house will become a hub for a diverse group of locals. Corgan reports being dissatisfied with the cultural offerings of his Highland Park ‘hood and hopes his shop will stand apart from the “cookie-cutter culture” of Starbucks. Corgan intends for the cafe to host events as well, saying, “It has a whimsical feel to it… it’ll feel like you’re stepping back in time in terms of space, but what we put into the space will change. My dream number is changing it 15 to 20 times a month where you’re inviting people to talk about film or have an open mic night.”
The tea house is to be located in the former US Post Office at 582 Roger Williams Avenue in Highland Park, an affluent Chicago suburb. The location is within Highland Park’s Ravinia neighborhood, perhaps best known for the Ravinia Festival, the summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Sharon Mackin-Norberg and her husband Tobias, proprietors of the Ravinia Wine Shop across the street from the tea house, will manage the tea house’s day-to-day operations. Mackin-Norberg sat for an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, praising Corgan’s eye for restaurant design and taste in tea, while further touting the tea house as a hangout for young people who want exposure to culture. The Sun-Times also spoke with Nancy Rotering, the mayor of Highland Park, who said of Corgan: “He has some unique ideas to bring more of a fun, cultural vibe to Highland Park. It’s neat that he wants to bring his creativity and his energy to our community.”
According to Eater Chicago, Corgan projects an opening date of around March or April for the tea house, which does not yet have a name. The Sun-Times article further suggests Corgan may perform the first live show in the space.
i cant believe billy got a blue man [alternate] to manage his tea shop! how long til we get a carl weathers / billy sighting??
@ snowtrooper- I heard Mrs. Featherbottom was going to be the maid
I think we know who is REALLY going to do the first live show in the space: Dr Tobias Funke’s 100% Natural Good Time Family Band.
sunshine
sunshine
sunshine
and some tea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
vegan frozen bananas or bust!
Liberal Lattes!!! Nothing conservative about those cafes!
Come for the tea, stay for the analrapy.
@ Spumkins33- I have been dying to hear “Timocil” live my entire life
does this mean it will be named “the queen mary”?
i call dibs on tamborine! TEAMWORK!!
I got the wooden block!
I love the sequence of comments in this thread. Let’s just make an Arrested Development blog, shall we?
thanks for blowing the “inside” joke jill…..guess ill just move on to staring at online pics of my cousin.
;)
Let’s be honest, Corgan should have opened a banana stand
because there is ALWAYS money in a banana stand
until it burns down of course.
Lol banana stand and +1 to everyone for the Arrested Development comments.
And +1 to redhandcorgan
best. comments. ever.
“This tea house is costing us a fortune.”
“And it’s worth every penny.”
“Hey, I didn’t say that!”
Way to plant, Billy!
[...] about an open-mic event taking place tomorrow night in Highland Park at Ravinia Wine Shop, which is owned by Corgan’s business partners in the tea house they expect to open soon just across the street. Share:Like this:LikeBe the first [...]