They opened a Chinese restaurant in Kokomo, Indiana, while Lin’s grandmother raised their children in Skokie, a Chicago suburb. Lin’s parents had a “typical immigrant story,” he said. It’s going to a family.” From Chinese Food To Live Music … I’m happy that spot isn’t going to a corporate entity. “We’ve been basically out of pocket trying to survive. “I didn’t have this chunk of change in my pocket,” he said. Lin said he hopes the bartenders and the neighborhood understand how passionate he feels about owning The Flat Iron. At that point, Lin said, he wasn’t aware he was bidding against anyone, though the bartenders dispute that.

But he said he wasn’t aware of their longstanding attempts or the problems between them and Novich.īy the time Lin finally bought the bar, it was in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. He also declined to answer questions via email.Īfter putting forth an initial bid, Lin learned some bartenders were also interested in buying the bar. Novich declined to be interviewed for this story. It makes people feel kind of small in ways.” For him not to sit down and talk to us at any point, to not have a one-on-one discussion … that’s not a good feeling. At one point he and another Flat Iron staffer offered a bid of $500,000, he said. Despite decades of loyalty to the bar, Ketsios feels he never got a fair shake. The change in ownership stings for longtime bartenders Tasso Ketsios and Angela Eve.Īn employee of The Note and The Flat Iron since 1998, Ketsios tried buying the bar from owner Nick Novich multiple times. It’s going to someone that lives and works in Wicker Park.” “I’m excited that it’s not going to another large corporation … on the six corners. “I’m excited because it’s a chance for me to bring more live music to a location that deserves it,” Lin said. A longtime Wicker Park resident, Lin said he looks forward to expanding the live music program he’s built at Bourbon to The Flat Iron.īefore it was a dive bar, The Flat Iron was The Note, a live music venue that closed in 2008. Milwaukee Ave., sold last week to Jun Lin, the owner of Bourbon on Division, a late night bar and music venue. WICKER PARK - One of Wicker Park’s longtime bars is under new ownership - and is going back to its live music roots.

Staff credits flat io