Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants Esquire Chicago

In November 2019, ICI completed on a new flagship location for Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants in the former Esquire Theater in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood. Cooper’s Hawk took over the space after Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse shuttered the location. ICI was retained for the remodel due to our existing relationship with the restauranteur and familiarity with the building; having completed a remodel of the space for Del Frisco’s just one year prior.

The tri-level 24,000 square foot space includes polished wood wall panels and floors, touches of brass and grey metal and a stunning chandelier centered within the space. The restaurant includes a three-story wine tower, retail space and an open kitchen.

Construction within the urban location and inside the iconic Esquire Theater presented several challenges. For instance, the building has no service elevator so anything brought to the second or third floor had to move up the stairs or be hoisted in from the outside. The ICI team examined and engineered every aspect of the building with an eye toward cost and speed, preserving walls and staircases and even custom designing iron hood vents for the grills in the kitchen.