Introduction to Double Fun
GOLD COAST — Peter Vestinos channeled ’60s Paris for his West Loop bar Bisous and Havana circa 1920s at Sparrow in the Gold Coast. For his newest venture, the bar veteran has turned his attention to southern California. Double Fun, 2 W. Elm St. in the Gold Coast, revamps the corner bar experience with a ’70s Hollywood vibe. Opening Wednesday, it’s Vestinos’ latest venture in partnership with Chicago-based Footman Hospitality.
Concept and Inspiration
“When you look at a lot of these bars in the Gold Coast, they were built by the same group around the same time in the early ’70s,” Vestinos said. “They all kind of look — and smell — the same.” Located in a vacant former bank in the same 1927 building as Sparrow, Double Fun became an “if we weren’t going to do it, then someone else would” opportunity, said Vestinos. “My partner, Jason [Freiman] said, ‘We might as well jump on it.’” Vestinos created a storyboard with photos depicting the look and feel he was going for, followed by a playlist. While on the treadmill at the gym listening to that list, Vestinos came up with the name. “I looked down and instead of seeing the song tracks, the album cover popped up for Robert Palmer’s ‘Double Fun,’” Vestinos said. “Double Fun as a name made sense in a lot of ways.”
Drink Menu
For the drink menu, Vestinos is leaning into the “light and easy vibe” of California with nods to Asia, Mexico and Central and South America. There will be a few frozen drinks like the Freezer Door Martini and the slushy Frozen Coconut Mudslide — vodka, amaro, coffee, coconut — as well as a section dedicated to highballs, dubbed “long drinks.” Classics find a home at Double Fun too, including a Pisco Punch — South American brandies, pineapple, lemon, bitters — and a Mai Tai with a passion fruit twist.
The retro menu board at Double Fun, 2 W. Elm St., lists a few frozen drinks and classic cocktails, including a Goddamn Whiskey Sour. Credit: Just Coast
A Goddamn Whiskey Sour nods to an iconic scene in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” which also served as inspiration for Double Fun. A small selection of non-alcoholic drinks, alongside a tightly curated list of wine and beer, round out the menu.
Food and Ambiance
Double Fun won’t offer a food menu but will have snacks like cheese balls, locally made potato chips and Motorshucker’s Thai spiced peanuts. Bringing in outside food will be discouraged. “It’s like bringing food onto a plane in that it disrupts other people’s experience,” Vestinos said. That means no TVs either, he said. Like at Bisous, Vestinos worked with Chicago’s Siren Betty on the interior design, which features a palette of soft pastels and warm wood tones along with chrome throughout the 1,500-square-foot space, with seating for 60. “For this one, we were designing for Mick Jagger in his prime,” said Siren Betty’s Noelle Saeger, who led the design along with the company’s founder, Nicole Alexander. “There’s a balance between glamour and grunge and that diner ambiance that feels very classic and timeless.” Double Fun takes advantage of its corner location at Elm and State streets with large windows on either side that allow for plenty of natural light. “I love the interplay of looking out at the Gold Coast and then kind of being in that fishbowl where everyone’s looking at you,” Vestinos said. A slight tint in the windows will help keep it cool during warmer months.
The 15-seat bar at Double Fun, 2 W. Elm St. Credit: Just Coast</span
