Bruce Finkelman
Managing Partner, 16" on Center

A Chicagoland native, Bruce Finkelman’s celebrated path in hospitality began as a graduate of the University of Missouri’s inaugural Food and Beverage curriculum. Working his way through school at Columbia’s storied Blue Note music club, Finkelman found a home for his love of music and the missing puzzle to complete his education.

Shortly thereafter, he returned to Chicago and landed a job with Hyatt Hotels Corp. Stifled by the big-box corporate mentality, he decided to head out on his own. A late night drive through Ukrainian Village would foreshadow the start of his next career chapter. With $923 in the bank, Finkelman set out to launch the Empty Bottle. A home to a community of artists and creatives who began taking up residence in the then-desolate Ukrainian Village, The Empty Bottle filled a void in the evolving neighborhood. A year later, the whole operation would move three blocks north to its permanent home on Western and Cortez. Described by Finkelman as a “cat-ridden hole-in-the-wall,” musical acts from all over the globe were welcomed as Chicago’s music scene blossomed. Two decades later it is the only Chicago venue to make Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the nation’s 20 best rock clubs.

Bruce then went on to launch Bite Café and Beauty Bar before opening doors to Logan Square’s Longman & Eagle in 2010. Named a ‘Best New Restaurant in America’ by both GQ and Esquire magazines, Longman & Eagle is nationally recognized for its standout menu with a focus on seasonally driven cuisine and bourbon.

After beginning their partnership with L&E, Finkelman & Golden partnered once again to restore Pilsen’s stunning Thalia Hall space in 2013. Re-establishing a concert hall in the venue’s historic theatre space, the ambitious project also includes Dusek’s, a beer-focused restaurant in the corner of the building (named 2014’s ‘Best New Restaurant in Chicago’ by Chicago Magazine), and Punch House, a craft punch bar tucked away in the basement.

When the University of Chicago reached out to Finkelman and Golden for help revitalizing Hyde Park, the duo jumped at the opportunity to open another restaurant and music venue that could foster a renewed sense of community. The Promontory is his vision as a hearth-centered neighborhood flagship, managed and staffed by people whose passion for music and hospitality equals his own.

Saint Lou’s Assembly, MONEYGUN, and Revival Food Hall were the next openings for Finkelman and Golden, all in 2016, followed immediately by The Ruin Daily in 2017. Revival Food Hall has proven to be a trend-setter for food halls in Chicago. Since its opening, several other concepts are in the planning phase or underway in various neighborhoods, such as Lakeview, West Loop, and on Wells Street in the Loop. "Revival aims to create a welcoming space that gives people an all-local, chef-driven dining experience in the heart of the city. We truly want to be a beacon in the community where people want to come morning, noon and night." With each new opening, Finkelman aims to create neighborhood restaurants and venues at which he himself would want to hang out, hoping that others feel the same way.