Introduction to Tommy’s On Higgins
NORWOOD PARK — When an electrical fire broke out at Tommy’s on Higgins in December 2022, owner Tommy Migon thought the sports bar would be back open within six months.
That turned into more than two years, but the favored Norwood Park bar is finally reopening: Migon said Tommy’s, 6954 W. Higgins Ave., passed all of its city inspections and plans to reopen Monday.
“This is probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do,” Migon said. “I’ve invested too much time and money into it not to reopen.”
The Rebuilding Process
While the rebuilding process took longer than anticipated, Migon has been keeping neighbors updated with messages on the bar’s marquee. Last week, Migon wrote “Passed health, gave permission to open!” Shortly after the message was posted, excited calls and texts from regulars started rolling in.
“I connected the bar phone to my personal cell, so I probably get 10 calls a day asking when I’m opening,” Migon said.
The December 2022 fire started in the bar’s basement. Credit: Provided/ Block Club Chicago
The 2022 electrical fire started in the bar’s basement, but it caused smoke damage throughout the building, Migon said.
Reconstruction and New Features
It took about a year to get all the city permits required to start rebuilding. The bar was completely gutted, and reconstruction work started in November 2023. Redoing the bar’s electrical work took six months, which was longer than expected and further delayed construction, Migon said.
While the bar’s layout remains mostly unchanged, everything inside the 42-year-old sports bar is new, Migon said.
“It still feels like the same Tommy’s, but newer,” Migon said.
The bar was rebuilt with reclaimed wood from a southern Wisconsin barn and historical Chicago brick. Migon is friends with Pulitzer Prize-winning former Tribune photographer Charles Cherney, whose work will be displayed throughout Tommy’s. Cherney’s photos depict Wrigley Field, Barnum & Bailey elephants arriving at a Chicago train station and other “classic Chicago” moments, Migon said.
“I kind of built the bar to be like an old speakeasy from the 1920s,” he said.
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