(Nick Ulanowski/H-F Chronicle)
The Ridgewood celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Aug. 9. The business at the corner of Ridge Road and Harwood Avenue in downtown Homewood is across the street from the Metra station.
and Lily Donkel, in front of some of the new décor at The RIdgewood.
(Nick Ulanowski/H-F Chronicle)
The Ridgewood is in the same location as its predecessor, the Ridgewood Tap. The neighborhood bar at 2059 Ridge Road was owned by the Riggs family for more than half a century. James Riggs retired in 2022 and sold the business to Scott Donkel.
Donkel and his family have done major renovations with improved lighting, new floorboards, an updated outdoor patio.
“We did a complete 100% renovation from the ground up. All new structural steel. All new drywall, HVAC, plumbing and electrical,” Scott said, adding that the floors and windows were also renovated and a new stereo system and 85-inch televisions were installed.
“It’s cosmetically a new look,” daughter Amy Donkel-Rohne said. “Everything from the light fixtures to the art that’s on the wall. It was all chosen very intentionally.”
(Nick Ulanowski/H-F Chronicle)
Donkel also owns the Avenue Wine Bar and Flower Shop Oak Lawn and recently sold the Little Brown Jug, a bar in Burnham. Amy does public relations and marketing for The Ridgewood, and Patrick Donkel, his son, is the general manager.
A craft cocktail menu will be rolled out soon and the food menu will be updated, Scott and Amy said.
The Ridgewood also sells packaged beverages that customers can take home, including canned cocktails, large-format beers and seltzers, wine and non-alcoholic beverages.
Amy said The Ridgewood will remain welcoming to the former regular customers of The Ridgewood Tap while also bringing in “new energy.”
Framed professional sports jerseys and music posters decorate the bar. Rolling Stones albums, band posters and photos of famous musicians are on display.
A signed Hristo Stoichkov jersey is framed and on the wall. Stoichkov is an international soccer player from Belgium who played for the Chicago Fire from 2000 to 2002. This nearly 25-year-old jersey was signed by every player on the Fire at that time.
The bar will become more of a soccer bar than it has been in the past, Scott and Amy said.
“We’ve been seeing the rise of the popularity of soccer,” Amy said. “Whether it’s going to be super early in the morning if they’re international games or late at night if they’re U.S games, we just want to be a place for people to gather.”
“We’re still going to be a Bears bar as well, though. We’re still very excited for the Bears this year,” Scott said.
Lily Donkel, Scott’s other daughter, hugged him after the blue ribbon was cut, marking the grand opening of The Ridgewood.
“This is going to be a draw for Metra commuters,” Homewood Village Manager Napoleon Haney said. “It’s the perfect location for this type of establishment. I think [Scott] knocked it out of the park. I think this is absolutely gorgeous.”
“It’s wonderful to take something that has such a history in town, and it’s brand new again,” Homewood Village Trustee Jay Heiferman said.
The Ridgewood is open Monday through Friday from 1 p.m. until 2 a.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. until 2 a.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. until 1 a.m.