All across America, the cocktail bar/barbershop hybrid has made its mark among stylish men in New York City and Los Angeles who prefer a glass of ale with their buzz fade. Blind Barber, a neighborhood barbershop, and lounge with a cult following New York City and Los Angeles locations, has just opened its doors in Chicago’s West Loop.Notable for their trendy chic spaces that elevate the salon experience, Blind Barber encourages a sense of leisure and camaraderie with its clever combination of a barbershop, a cocktail bar, and lounge. They also offer an award-winning line of men’s grooming products and scented candles, all with a clean, minimal design and manly packaging in amber, blue and white.
To create a space that oozes a retro vintage vibe, the Blind Barber team tapped Chicago-based firm 555 International to design their Chicago outpost that will feature a barbershop and a “speakeasy” backroom offering both a drink and food menu. A departure from the 1920’s speakeasy-style Blind Barber is known for, the new design is reminiscent of a playful recreation room basement, but with a fresh twist. Knotty pine walls and burnt orange leather sofas provide the bar area with a living room feel, while glass block windows are used throughout as a nod to the Fulton Market’s architectural history as a former meat distributor. Vintage lighting and old-world finishes round out the space.
