Business & Tech
Belluomini's Keeping the Door Open and the Beer Cold
The corner bar in Hinsdale has over seven decades of operation under its belt, but lean times and changing legislation have taken a toll.
in Hinsdale has certainly proved its staying power. With nearly 75 years at the corner of 55th and Madison streets, the neighborhood tavern is older than many of its clients.
Paul Belluomini is the current owner of the bar, which was started by his grandfather in 1937 and has bounced around the family ever since. Paul took over in 1991 and said he grew up in the house next door.
Grandfather Belluomini—who passed away in 1949—was a native of Hinsdale and worked at the power plant that was once in town, the railroad that ran through it, and the meat counter of some local stores long since razed or renamed.
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Belluomini's isn't large, but keeps its guests happy with standard bar fare and cold beer, domestic and import. Belluomini said the hamburgers are a favorite of regular customers and he said they offer free food during regular-season Bears games.
Pinball and darts round out the ambiance of a true watering hole where many patrons are regulars. And while the bar may be older than most of its patrons—it's not older than all of them.
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“We have a guy who still comes around that is 93 now—not as often as he used to since he doesn't drive anymore—but he's been a patron for 65 years,” Belluomini said.
Belluomini makes no bones about it though, times are tough.
“The smoking ban just killed us. A lot of people left and never came back and then with economy, it was just bang, bang,” he said. “We are doing what we can to keep the door open and just making it work.”
The bar has not changed much during its long history, but the corner around it certainly has.
“Oh yeah, you can defiantly imagine it looked quite a bit different when my grandfather opened it in '37,” Belluomini said.
While it's hard to remain optimistic in the current economic climate, Belluomini said he plans to keep the door of the neighborhood's corner bar open as long as he can.
“This is what I've always done; I'd like to continue,” he said.
The bar is open from noon to 1 a.m. on weekdays and noon to 2 a.m. on weekends. They carry draft and bottled beer in addition to a full bar.
