Situated 25 miles west of downtown Chicago lies the suburb of Wheaton, IL.
With its idyllic downtown, quaint neighborhoods, and ever-present Midwestern nice-ness, Wheaton feels like you stepped into a John Hughes film.
Since its founding by protestant abolitionists in the late 19th century, Wheaton has remained closely aligned to its Christian ideals. In fact, at one time Wheaton was known to have more churches per capita than anywhere in the US, and was considered a “dry town” until 1985.
This is not a town with a thriving bar scene. But that’s changing with Subourbon. Created by a collective of intrepid restaurateurs and bartenders, Subourbon is a members-only whiskey keep and cocktail lounge, fittingly located in the basement of a 1920’s era building in downtown Wheaton.
Former Colleagues’ Bob Davidson led the development of the concept, starting with the name, which offered the rare opportunity to reference 3 key ideas in a single word: the space’s subterranean location, the city of Wheaton being a Chicago suburb, and the bar’s focus on rare and iconic bourbon whiskey. Subourbon. That’s it. Bottoms up.
From there, Bob led the design team through crafting an immersive experience that pays homage to the prohibition-era building’s character and subtle touchpoints that create the space’s “thoughtful exclusivity”.
Art deco styling permeates the surface and materials, with a number of bespoke furniture pieces created by local designers and artists.
Being truly members-only, Former Colleagues and the team pushed the exclusivity concept further by declining any street-level signage or even social media presence. Members must access the space through a single elevator, which is operated by a member keycard. And of course, the elevator displays a personalized welcome for each member.
Subourbon represents so much of what we seek out in a project. The opportunity to create an environment that is carefully, devotedly crafted for a very specific community–––something they can feel ownership and identity in.
A client who is willing to invest in a truly exceptional experience. The chance to prioritize the concept over all else. Cheers to that.
.jpg)
