On October 19th, 2024, Kasey’s turned 50. Bill White purchased it in the mid-1980’s. A wonderful article in the October issue of Newcity (another stalwart of the neighborhood) traces the early beginnings of Kasey’s and how the neighborhood around the tavern has changed.
Check out the article written by June Sawyers. Here is an excerpt.
“Other old-fashioned businesses were still around then, such as Ted’s Barber Shop, where a haircut cost a mere four dollars, or Tom’s Grill, a greasy spoon open for breakfast and lunch. Congress Employment, which hired day laborers, stood in the middle of Printers Square in the location of what is now the remodeled fountain in Printers Row Park.
But some urban pioneers saw hope amid the ruins. When Ellen and Ulrich Sandmeyer opened the bookstore bearing their name in 1982, they took an instant liking to the area. You could say it was love at first sight. “We always loved the neighborhood,” says Ellen Sand-meyer, “and trusted it would become ever more vibrant. And we were right!” It helped that several old buildings were spared the indignity of the wrecker’s ball. Commercial developers saw dollar signs in the vintage structures that had been left behind. The large windows and historic architecture attracted people who wanted to live adjacent to the Loop. Before long, the former printing warehouses were recast into luxury condos and lofts and new restaurants opened. Some were upscale—such as Michael Foley’s Printers Row or Prairie, the latter named in honor of the state of Illinois, but also reminiscent of the style of architecture designed by Frank Lloyd
Wright. There was also Trattoria Caterina, serving fast-casual Italian, the Deli on Dearborn, a lunchtime hot spot, and a coffeehouse, Gourmand, as well as Standing Room Only, better known as SRO, famous for its turkey burgers. All are gone.”
Click Here for the rest of the story.