Downtown St. Charles is in for a late-night upgrade courtesy of the team behind The Graceful Ordinary. Later this year, the group plans to open two new concepts on South 2nd Avenue: The Idle Hour, a members-only cigar lounge, and RILY, a raw-bar jazz room. Construction has already started, and the owners are framing the projects as neighborhood-focused spots that add dining and music after dark without disrupting the riverfront's small-town character.
Both venues are slated for 11 S. 2nd Avenue in downtown St. Charles, where O&D Hospitality already operates The Graceful Ordinary, according to WhatNow. The outlet notes that construction is underway and that an opening later this year is expected.
About The Idle Hour
The Idle Hour is being positioned as a luxury, members-driven cigar club that will cover roughly 2,400 square feet and feature plush leather Chesterfield seating, velvet drapery, and deliberately moody lighting, Shaw Local reported. Plans call for a retail humidor, multiple membership tiers, and private lockers for storing bottles and cigar accessories. Members are expected to have a BYOB option and the ability to bring cocktails from The Graceful Ordinary across the street.
About RILY
Next door, RILY is set to center on a seafood-forward raw bar featuring oysters, king crab, and lobster, paired with craft cocktails and regional jazz performances most nights, according to WhatNow. The roughly 2,600-square-foot space is being promoted as a spot for late-night dining with regular live music. Final programming and menus are expected to be announced as the build-out continues.
Who’s Behind It
O&D Hospitality is the umbrella group for Chris and Megan Curren, who opened The Graceful Ordinary in 2021 and have been expanding concepts under the O&D banner, according to the company’s site. The Graceful Ordinary has picked up local recognition, with O&D highlighting a Chicago Tribune People’s Choice nod in 2023 in its press materials. The partners are also launching Vicolo, a daytime café and pastificio in downtown Aurora, a project first reported by Chicago Food Magazine.
Where It Fits In Downtown
The Idle Hour will sit next to the Moonlight Theatre at 7 S. 2nd Ave., placing the new spots in the middle of the city’s evening entertainment strip, per the theatre’s website. Moonlight’s calendar already features regular music and comedy shows that could pair neatly with a neighborhood jazz room next door. Together, the additions expand the cluster of dining and performance venues that help pull people toward the Fox River corridor.
O&D Hospitality says it will share membership information and opening updates on its website. For initial reporting on the concepts, see the company’s announcement and coverage in Shaw Local.
