Historic Berghoff Restaurant Reopens After Pandemic Closure

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The historic Berghoff Restaurant downtown fully reopened Monday, and hopes to be a boost to the economy.

The restaurant's location at 17 W. Adams St. had to close in July 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the restaurant back open, unvaccinated customers are asked to wear masks when dining in.

After Monday, the Berghoff will be open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. Reservations and walk-ins are welcome, but there may be a slight wait as staff get tables ready to follow all proper cleaning protocols, the restaurant advises.

The history of the Berghoff goes back nearly 130 years to the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, when German immigrant Herman Berghoff set up a beer stand on the Midway Plaisance. The restaurant opened its doors in 1898 – offering beer for a nickel and a free side sandwich.

During Prohibition, the Berghoff sold near beer and Berghoff soda pop and expanded food service – making the restaurant known for its authentic German cuisine, the Berghoff website points out. After Prohibition, the Berghoff got Chicago's first ever liquor license – opening the Berghoff Bar together with the restaurant. An annex now called the the Berghoff Café was added underneath the restaurant in 1939, the Berghoff points out.

Until 1969, only men were allowed at the bar, but that changed when Gloria Steinem and other members of the National Organization for women demanded service.

The Berghoff Restaurant, Bar, and Café are now in their fourth generation of family ownership.