Iknew it was coming, but I didn’t think it would be this fast. On Sunday night, the news broke that Avondale’s 54-year-old dive bar, Frank and Mary’s Tavern , had been sold to a small bar group who would be shutting it down for renovations beginning Thursday—yesterday—the day the sale closed.

In some ways, it’s proper. Owner Frank Stark deserves a generous payout going into retirement, and the floors and bathrooms could use a glow-up. I’m not sure about the new AV system the new guys are installing, but that’s their prerogative.

The Red Door Tavern Group owns Wrigleyville’s Graystone Tavern and Lakeview’s Cody’s Public House, both sports bars, though the latter is militantly dog friendly, which in my view is a positive.

Frank and Mary’s bartenders—Phil, Yvette, Dale, Tommy, Brian, Jon

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