CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — After nearly 40 years near the corner of Belmont and Sheffield Avenues, the owners of Berlin Nightclub — long a home for Chicago’s LGBTQ community — announced that they are officially closed, effective Sunday.
The closure came as contract negotiations stalled with its union, which was formed in April 2023 and was seeking its first deal.
“We hope you made some memories with us and that you smile when they visit you,” Berlin Nightclub wrote in a statement, shared on Tuesday. “The first ads in 1983 announced Berlin to the Neighborhood Bar of the Future. Unfortunately, the future is now, and it's time for us to go home.”
Unite Here Local 1, the union representing Berlin’s workers, posted a statement to social media and called the move to close “the wrong decision.”
“The workers of Berlin are heartbroken to hear of Jim and Jo’s decision to permanently and abruptly close this historic institution,” the statement read.
In its announcement Tuesday, Berlin officials said the nightclub featured a “remarkable tornado” of talented performers, staff, friends and customers. They added that “the expenses of increased security, insurance and licensing, equipment, rent and more cannot be overestimated.”
“We could not imagine morphing the bar into a bottle service, VIP area venue,” they said. “So, the doors are locked. The music silenced, and our dreams are now memories.”
In October, unionized workers and their supporters gathered outside of Berlin Nightclub and called for a boycott as they continued pushing for a contract. The workers wanted higher wages and better benefits, and they found plenty of support among the club’s performers.
Ownership responded to the boycott with a statement saying, in part, that the additional wages, health care and pension benefits requested by the union were more than the company could afford.
“We made clear to the company that our original proposals were not final, and we were negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement that was financially practical for the business,” union officials wrote. “While we are sad that Jim and Jo have made this decision, we know that our community is resilient, creative and capable of dreaming things into its place.”
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