On Dec. 27, 2021, Persona Lounge announced on Instagram that it would be closing after the new year. So naturally, Black Chicagoans were sad to hear the news about the popular Black-owned nightclub. Tributes to the lounge poured onto social media in the wake of the announcement.
However, this month, the TRiiBE learned that Persona Lounge — currently located in downtown Chicago — is not closing for good. The closure is temporary.
On Jan. 3, the TRiiBE reached out to a co-owner associated with Persona and learned that the nightclub would be closed while undergoing renovations and upgrades. The co-owner prefers to remain anonymous.
In a separate story about Chicago’s vaccine mandate published by the TRiiBE on Jan. 24, Persona Lounge co-owner MaryAnn Marsh told the TRiiBE that Persona had not yet reopened to the public but they hope it will reopen soon.
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It’s unclear when Persona will reopen. As of Monday, Jan. 24, at 1 PM, the nightclub’s Instagram feed is empty; additionally, the original IG post announcing the closure is absent from its page.
The initial news about Persona landed on social media the same week that Ace Hotel announced the sale of its Chicago hotel property to Onni Group, a Vancouver-based real estate developer. Onni Group purchased the hotel for $63 million. As a result, the hotel and its accompanying rooftop bar, Little Wild, are closing this week.
“With the sale of the building comes the end of Ace’s tenure in the space, which includes Little Wild and Lovage. Effective Jan. 26, 2022, the hotel will no longer be part of the Ace Hotel Group,” wrote an Ace Hotel spokesperson in an email to the TRiiBE on Jan. 5.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.