A new restaurant and event space is coming to the Far South Side neighborhood of West Pullman. With Ethola and BSCP Hall, owner Dr. Adelanke Bademosi plans to bring a fast-casual dining experience to a community reeling from decades of disinvestment.
“I was always having the love, the thoughts to do something so that my grandmother’s neighborhood can also change,” Bademosi, a medical physician who practices in South Shore, told The TRiiBE. “So I couldn’t think of any other way than to try to have a business there.”
Bademosi purchased the vacant property at 846 W. 119th St. According to the project’s press materials, the site will become “a vibrant hospitality destination.” Ethola and BSCP Hall will be a blend of “authentic Afro-Caribbean cuisine with modern event space, community programming, and career-building opportunities.”
With funding from “a combination of equity, private funds, and a request for matching support from the City of Chicago’s Medium Grant Program,” the estimated cost of the development project is $4 million, according to press materials. Bademosi said construction is scheduled to begin in early 2026. He estimated the restaurant and event space will be open to the public by the first quarter of 2027.
The Nascent Group is the development group providing technical support for the project and representing Bademosi. The group is behind some recent pivotal developments on the South Side, including the Bronzeville Winery, NAFSI at the South Shore Cultural Center, and the newly developed South Side Sanctuary.
Cecilia Cuff, hospitality designer and founder of the Nascent Group, said they held meetings with community members to get an understanding of what they’d like to see from Ethola and BSCP Hall.
“We talked about seating and price points. I think that’s an important part of when we design spaces in our communities, making sure that the community members actually come out and they give their feedback,” Cuff said. “We know how important this is for our community. There really aren’t that many places to have a sit-down dinner. We’ll have live jazz. We’ll have happy hours. We’ll have access to fresh, healthy food instead of, you know, just fast food.”
Bademosi has called Chicago home since moving to the city from his home country of Nigeria in 1995. Over the years, Bademosi has seen the property 846 W. 119th St. sit vacant, along with the lack of event spaces and sit-down restaurant options in the area. That’s what inspired him to bring a combined restaurant and event space to life.
He hopes to drive more investment into the Chicago neighborhood. Ethola and BSCP Hall is expected to create 18 permanent jobs and at least 30 construction jobs, according to press materials. The space will feature a rooftop area that can be enjoyed during warm months, weekly happy hours, and a hospitality work training component.
As part of the workforce development part of the project, Ethola has a collaboration with the non-profit employment agency Community Assistance Programs (CAPs) and a partnership with the Illinois Restaurant Association, both Bademosi and Cuff said. Through these partnerships, trainees will receive certifications, have the opportunity to be hired by Ethola and be connected to other hospitality opportunities on the South Side.
According to the project presentation materials, Ethola and BSCP Hall would create an “annual revenue of $1 million through its combined restaurant, private event, and delivery operations.”
A community meeting about the development took place back in July. Ald. Ronnie Mosley (21st Ward) said that community members were able to offer constructive feedback and that the response was positive around the new addition to the community. He added that the project coincides with the Far South Side Quality of Life plan that was created in 2021.
“This is a place for us to celebrate great moments, but also to plan future events and moments to come,” Mosley said. “So really excited that we will have this here in the 21st Ward, and even more so that the folks who worked on the quality of life plan actually get to see that come to fruition.”
BSCP Hall is named for the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the nation’s first Black-led labor union, founded in the neighboring community of Pullman. Bademosi said he chose the name to pay homage to the union as a symbol of the rise of the Black middle class. The union was once the largest employer of Black men in the country.
Neighboring Pullman recently was the subject of a study that showed how decades of investment in the area has led to a $1.5 billion economic impact and had a positive boost for the residents of Pullman through the creation of jobs.
Ethola and BSCP Hall is helping to further Cuff’s mission. Bademosi says the project is another testament to his love for Black people. He added that he thinks it will help spur further development in the area, along with other investments on the South Side such as the recently announced 1Fifteen on Michigan Station mixed-use project.
“I think this will definitely help the community, and would also satisfy the need to upgrade the look and the appearance of the community, and I’m so glad with the work the mayor is doing, also with the railroad expansion,” Bademosi said. “So all these will just complement one another.”
