Wait, is the Green Mill jazz club being sold? Here's what's going on with the iconic venue
One of Chicago's most storied nightlife landmarks, the Green Mill Cocktail Lounge, is in the headlines again. But don't panic just yet, jazz lovers: While the historic Uptown building that houses the century-old club is officially for sale, the Green Mill itself isn't going anywhere.
The two-story structure at the corner of Broadway and Lawrence, where Al Capone once drank and Billie Holiday once performed, hit the market earlier this week. The building spans more than 21,000-square feet and includes eight commercial units, including buzzy neighbors like Birrieria Zaragoza and Le Nocturne. Current owner Dave Jemilo, who bought the Green Mill in 1986 and the building in 2021 for $5 million, hasn't publicly commented on the listing. However, sources familiar with the sale told Crain's that the club's operations are expected to continue uninterrupted, according to Block Club Chicago.
That's welcome news for locals and tourists who flock to the velvet-draped venue for nightly jazz, slam poetry and a dose of Prohibition-era Chicago lore. The Green Mill has long been a living time capsule: Its curved bar, vintage booths and dim amber lighting conjure the days when mobsters sipped whiskey in the infamous 'Capone booth,' strategically placed with sightlines to both exits.
If that weren't enough intrigue, there's also the tunnel system under the club, a relic of its gangster past. Once used for bootlegging and backroom escapes, the underground lair is accessible by a trapdoor behind the bar and has been featured in several films.
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A post shared by WTTW | Chicago's PBS Station (@wttwchicago)
Jemilo's ownership transformed the then-dilapidated joint into an international jazz destination. 'I didn't buy a gold mine,' he once told WTTW. 'I bought a dump and made it a gold mine.' Under his watch, the Green Mill helped birth the global poetry slam movement and attracted generations of jazz talent.
Though no asking price is listed, the building's landmark status protects it from major structural changes or demolition. So even if a new landlord steps in, the soul of the Green Mill—the music, the mythology, the martinis—should stay intact.
In other words: The neon still glows, the horns still wail and for now, your favorite Uptown haunt isn't closing its doors. Just don't try to sneak into the tunnels.
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