Debonair Social Club: Painting the town red at Wicker Park’s new art-themed club

Wicker Park hipsters: Get ready to check "grunge" at the door.

The swanky new Debonair Social Club, 1575 N. Milwaukee Ave., officially opened Friday at 6 p.m.

Debonair is one of several new bars and clubs opening this winter in the arty-yet increasingly gentrified-Wicker Park area.

"Our goal is to add onto the growing reputation that Wicker Park has become known for: as the art, fashion, food and entertainment destination in the city," General Manager Steve Harris said in an October press release.

Harris will be operating the club with a team of three others: Vincent Haycock, artist director; Claudia Gassel, image marketer; and Matthew Murray, bartender (dubbed "startender").

Debonair hopes to attract both hipsters and jetsetters alike by gussying up the local art and music scene. The club occupies a space in the historic Flat Iron building, home to many budding artists and galleries. The upper level features sleek, monochromatic decor with a color-changing light screen illuminating the dance floor, an area that doubles as a stage for live music acts. Six flat-screen televisions play thematic, independent films assembled by Emmy-nominated Haycock. The darkly lit lower level is rimmed with LED lighting and includes a second DJ and 30-foot bar.

The club also offers a sophisticated Italian-American menu for dinner and late-night snacking.

"Debonair is a beautifully designed showcase for not only the culture displayed within but the community of the social club," Gassel said in the press release.
For some residents, however, the mere title of the club is cause for concern.

"It sounds gentleman-oriented," said Kristin Reger, 22, a Wicker Park artist. "[That] is going to make a woman not want to go there."

Publicist Julie Darling said in the press release that while the title of the club may "evoke a wise guy hangout," the space is intended to exude "a modern edge that is gal-friendly" and that "playfully [addresses] the historic aspects of the social club-sophistication with a hint of debauchery."

To help cultivate that "modern edge," Debonair's windows are painted almost entirely black, with only small strips of clear glass allowing passersby to peek inside.

Reger said she found the dark exterior "a little daunting." Another resident, barista Stevie Rox, 22, said that in her experience, young Wicker Park bar-goers "really don't care" about the aesthetics of their watering-holes and are more concerned with the cost of drinks and with how late the clubs are open. Additionally, Debonair's dark windows and lack of signage have led several residents to comment that they hadn't even noticed it.

However, Reger added she would "probably stop in" at some point and indicated that if "the art is authentic" and the managers "are serious" about delving into Wicker Park's art and music scene, people will flock to the club.

"It sounded like a good addition to the neighborhood," agreed Ila Englof, 24, a medical school student. "It fits in with the whole art scene and it's very hip and up-and-coming. I wanted to check it out at some point."

Debonair Social Club will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. and for Sunday brunch from 12 to 6 p.m.