Jose Antonio Casco, former owner of Chesterfield's for more than 10 years on the South Side, opened his new bar at a Mexican restaurant over the weekend at 6319 W. Roosevelt Rd., Berwyn. The new venue is entitled Antronio's—after the Mexican slang "antro," meaning "hip bar," and playing on his name. The space has tons of potential, containing two large spaces for dancing, videos, drag shows and billiard-playing. Casco worked for months to install a new sprinkler system and new insulation to hold down the noise that neighbors complained about before at the location.
The restaurant will serve customers during the day, and the bar will open at 10 p.m. seven days a week. Casco's partner, Romero, will be bringing family recipes to the table during the day and serve cocktails in the evening as a bartender.
Opening night on Jan. 27 brought the LGBT community together and showed the Latino scene really is all-inclusive in Illinois. Old friends gathered—some of them not having been on the scene since Chesterfields had closed in 2008—to toast the new establishment. Although there have been gay-themed nights in the area, this will be the first gay club in Berwyn. The wait is finally over for the fiesta! Photos by Jerry Nunn
