Everywhere Social Club’s rooftop dreams have officially come back down to street level. After stepping away from a planned Uptown rooftop, the queer-led project is taking over the former Pasteur restaurant space in Edgewater and is aiming for a summer opening. Organizers say the new venue will function as a daytime cafe and listening lounge that shifts into dance programming at night, with an alcohol-free beverage menu and community workshops. The team tested the concept at a recent pop-up and is now concentrating on a ground-floor buildout instead of the previously floated rooftop plan.
Lease, layout and the Pasteur connection
As reported by Block Club Chicago, Everywhere has signed a five-year lease for roughly 5,000 square feet on the first floor at 5525 N. Broadway, with an opening targeted for August. According to Block Club, the team plans to reuse much of Pasteur’s kitchen equipment and appliances, and the longtime restaurant served its final meal on June 8. The outlet also lists the project’s co-founders and early organizers as Kisira Hill, Zach Walz, Brandon Andrew, Dan Quinn, Morgan Higgins and Rachel Ablavi.
What the preview showed
The crew rolled out a trial run with an event called “Full Spectrum,” which, according to the club’s event page, featured two dance floors, six DJs, a yoga session and an alcohol-free beverage program. That setup reflected the group’s stated goal to blend daytime gathering-space programming with nighttime listening and dance events. Both the event listing and the organization’s website describe the venue as a sober-forward, queer-centered third place for workshops, listening parties and ticketed performances.
How the rooftop plan changed
The concept originally included a rooftop location in Uptown, and organizers along with local coverage noted a letter of intent for that site earlier this year. GayCities reported that an Uptown rooftop LOI was part of Everywhere’s early pitch, while Block Club Chicago reports that organizers ultimately scrapped the rooftop plan and returned nearly $20,000 to Kickstarter contributors. They told Block Club that the ground-floor Pasteur space better matches the kinds of daytime and outdoor programming they want to host.
Patio, permits and neighbors
City records show a patio license tied to the Pasteur property at 5523–5525 N. Broadway, confirming that the new club will have an outdoor footprint available for seating and events. The city patio list indicates that the outdoor area is registered with the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, a setup that will help shape how the team approaches evening hours and larger gatherings. Neighbors can expect a mix of daytime cafe use and evening ticketed events as the buildout continues and any additional permits are secured.
Everywhere’s organizers say they plan to keep staging pop-ups and ticketed events while they prepare the Edgewater space, sharing updates and upcoming shows on their website and event pages. For now, the goal is to open in August and build a calendar that centers sober, queer-forward programming and community workshops.
