The Hideout Inn

The Hideout Inn, also known as Hideout Chicago or simply The Hideout, is a Chicago tavern and independent live-music venue located in the Elston Avenue Industrial Corridor between the Lincoln Park and Bucktown neighborhoods. Its unusual setting among factories, warehouses, and other industrial properties has been central to its identity: the venue developed a reputation as a tucked-away local bar before becoming one of the city's best-known small music rooms. The building began as a balloon-frame house constructed in 1881, reportedly serving as a boarding house for workers in nearby factories. It became a public house in 1916 and began serving alcohol around 1919, during the Prohibition era, when it functioned as a neighborhood tavern and speakeasy. After Prohibition ended, the establishment became a legal bar in 1934 and adopted the Hideout name. Its remote location, away from ordinary residential streets and surrounded by industrial uses, helped explain both the name and the bar's long-standing low-profile character. Angelo "Sax" Favia took over the establishment in 1947. His nephew Phil Favia and Phil's wife Eleanor "Chuckie" Favia helped expand the premises by constructing the rear room in 1954, using money from their honeymoon. The Favia family operated the venue as an unmarked bar for decades. Its customers included workers from nearby industrial employers and local residents who learned where it was through personal connections rather than conventional advertising. In 1996, Eleanor Favia sold the bar to two couples: Chicago Public Schools teacher Tim Tuten and Catholic Charities employee Katie Tuten, together with identical twins Mike Hinchsliff and Jim Hinchsliff. Katie Tuten had known the establishment through her father's patronage and, after locating it in the 1980s, became a regular with Tim. Under the new ownership, the Hideout developed more fully into a music venue while retaining the atmosphere and informality of a neighborhood tavern. The front bar occupies the original building, while the performance room is housed in the 1954 addition; the site has also included a porch-like outdoor seating area. Music is the venue's defining contemporary activity. The Hideout has presented local, touring, and independent performers and has been associated with regular acts such as the house band Devil in a Woodpile. Singer-songwriter Robbie Fulks served as an artist-in-residence from 2011 through 2017. The Hideout Block Party, held almost annually from 1996 to 2017, grew from a small gathering of several hundred people into a festival attracting as many as approximately 7,000 attendees. The venue has also provided space for civic and cultural programming, including Soup & Bread, First Tuesdays, and The Interview Show. The Hideout's owners have also participated in broader efforts to protect independent venues. In 2020, Katie Tuten helped establish the National Independent Venue Association after serving as a co-chair of the Chicago Independent Venue League. The organization sought government assistance for performance venues facing severe disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hideout remained open as an operating venue after the pandemic period, although its schedule and operating pattern changed; by 2018 it was primarily an evening establishment rather than a full-day neighborhood bar. The venue's future has periodically been connected to redevelopment pressure in Chicago's North Branch Industrial Corridor. A 2017 city ordinance permitted substantial portions of the corridor to be rezoned for mixed-use development, raising concerns about the proposed Lincoln Yards project and its effects on existing industrial businesses and cultural institutions. The Hideout stated that it intended to remain in operation. As of the latest reference material, the development had stalled and The Hideout was still operating. Editorial recognition from Esquire, USA Today, Consequence of Sound, The Guardian, and the Chicago Tribune reflects its dual status as a neighborhood institution and a nationally recognized small music venue.

The Hideout occupies an 1881 balloon-frame building in Chicago's North Branch industrial area. It was initially used as a boarding house for factory workers, became a public house in 1916, and began serving alcohol around 1919. During Prohibition it operated as a neighborhood tavern and speakeasy. In 1934, following the repeal of Prohibition, it became a legal bar known as the Hideout. The venue's isolated location among factories and warehouses contributed to its nickname and its reputation as a place discovered through local knowledge. Angelo "Sax" Favia assumed control in 1947. His nephew Phil Favia and Phil's wife Eleanor "Chuckie" Favia expanded the property in 1954 by adding the rear room that later became the performance space. The Favia family kept the bar largely unmarked and informal until 1996, serving nearby workers and local regulars. Phil Favia died in 1994, and Eleanor sold the business two years later. The 1996 purchasers were Tim and Katie Tuten and twin brothers Mike and Jim Hinchsliff. The new owners gradually strengthened the music program while preserving the site's tavern character. The Hideout became known for intimate performances, independent artists, and a distinctive relationship with Chicago's music community. Devil in a Woodpile became a regular house band, and Robbie Fulks was an artist-in-residence from 2011 to 2017. From 1996 through 2017, the Hideout Block Party developed from a small local gathering into a major weekend music event, at times attracting roughly 7,000 people. The venue also hosted non-music programs, including Soup & Bread, First Tuesdays, and The Interview Show, broadening its role as a community gathering place. By 2018, it was primarily an evening venue, although its bar and neighborhood identity remained important. The Hideout has faced questions about the impact of industrial-corridor redevelopment. Chicago's 2017 rezoning ordinance enabled mixed-use development in much of the North Branch area, including the proposed Lincoln Yards project. The venue indicated that it planned to remain open. Later reference material states that the development stalled and The Hideout continued operating. The owners have also been active in venue advocacy: Katie Tuten helped establish the National Independent Venue Association in 2020 after working with the Chicago Independent Venue League. Recognition from national publications and the Chicago Tribune has reinforced The Hideout's status as both a local tavern and a significant American independent music venue.

• 2020

  National Independent Venue Association founded

  [1]The Hideout Innen.wikipedia.org

  Katie Tuten helped establish NIVA to advocate for independent performance venues during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 2019

  Owners receive Chicago music recognition

  [1]The Hideout Innen.wikipedia.org

  The Chicago Tribune named the ownership group Chicagoans of the year in music.

• 2017

  Industrial-corridor rezoning approved

  [1]The Hideout Innen.wikipedia.org

  Chicago approved rezoning that permitted mixed-use development across much of the North Branch Industrial Corridor, raising concerns about the venue's surroundings.

• 2011

  Robbie Fulks begins artist residency

  [1]The Hideout Innen.wikipedia.org

  Robbie Fulks became an artist-in-residence, a role he held through 2017.

• 1996

  Tuten and Hinchsliff ownership begins

  [1]The Hideout Innen.wikipedia.org

  Eleanor Favia sold the bar to Tim and Katie Tuten and Mike and Jim Hinchsliff. The venue subsequently developed its modern music-centered identity.

• 1996

  Hideout Block Party launches

  [1]The Hideout Innen.wikipedia.org

  The venue began presenting its weekend music festival, which later expanded substantially in attendance and scope.

• 1954

  Rear performance room added

  [1]The Hideout Innen.wikipedia.org

  Phil and Eleanor Favia helped build the rear addition that later became The Hideout's principal performance area.

• 1947

  Angelo Favia takes over

  [1]The Hideout Innen.wikipedia.org

  Angelo "Sax" Favia assumed control of the bar, beginning the Favia family's long period of ownership.

• 1934

  Becomes a legal bar known as the Hideout

  [1]The Hideout Innen.wikipedia.org

  After Prohibition ended, the establishment became a legal bar and adopted the Hideout name.

• 1919

  Alcohol service begins

  [1]The Hideout Innen.wikipedia.org

  The establishment reportedly began serving alcohol during the Prohibition era.

• 1916

  Building becomes a public house

  [1]The Hideout Innen.wikipedia.org

  The property began operating as a public house.

• 1881

  Building constructed

  [1]The Hideout Innen.wikipedia.org

  The balloon-frame house that later became The Hideout was built as a boarding house serving workers in the surrounding industrial area.

An intimate, independent Chicago music venue that combines a historic neighborhood-bar atmosphere with influential live programming and community events.

• Live entertainment · 1996

  Live music program

  The Hideout's central offering is an intimate live-music program focused on Chicago artists, independent performers, touring acts, and special events. The rear room added in 1954 functions as the principal performance area. The venue has been associated with regular performers including Devil in a Woodpile and with Robbie Fulks's 2011–2017 artist residency.

• Food and beverage · 1934

  Neighborhood bar

  The Hideout retains the character of a neighborhood tavern, serving beverages from a front bar located in the original building. Historically it operated as a local bar throughout the day, while later descriptions characterize it primarily as an evening establishment. Its informal atmosphere remains a key part of the brand.

• Music festival · 1996

  Hideout Block Party

  The Hideout Block Party was a weekend music festival presented almost annually from 1996 through 2017. It began as a gathering of a few hundred attendees and grew into an event reported to attract as many as approximately 7,000 people, making it one of the venue's most visible recurring programs.

• Cultural programming

  Community events

  Beyond concerts, The Hideout has hosted recurring community and civic programs. These have included Soup & Bread, a food-and-community event founded by Martha Bayne; First Tuesdays, associated with journalists Ben Joravsky and Mick Dumke; and The Interview Show, hosted by Mark Bazer.

• 2020Independent venue advocacy during COVID-19

  United States

  Katie Tuten used her experience with the Chicago Independent Venue League to help create the National Independent Venue Association, which advocated federal public support for independent music and performance venues threatened by pandemic closures.

  Outcome. The advocacy effort established a national trade association for independent venues and contributed to broader public awareness of the sector's financial vulnerability.

  Source

• 2017

  Decision to remain amid Lincoln Yards redevelopment concernsStrategy

  Background

  Rezoning in the North Branch Industrial Corridor and proposed Lincoln Yards development raised concerns about the future of existing businesses and cultural venues.

  Action taken

  The Hideout stated that it planned to remain in business despite the redevelopment uncertainty.

  Aftermath

  The venue continued operating, while the proposed development later stalled according to the reference material.

  Source

• 1996

  Transition toward a music-centered venueStrategy

  Background

  After the Tutens and Hinchsliffs purchased the long-running neighborhood bar, The Hideout had an opportunity to develop a more visible cultural role while retaining its local tavern identity.

  Action taken

  The new owners expanded and professionalized live-music programming and built the venue's contemporary identity around intimate performances and independent artists.

  Aftermath

  The Hideout became a recognized Chicago music institution while continuing to operate as a neighborhood bar.

  Source

1. 1The Hideout Innen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Hideout Chicago official websitehideoutchicago.com