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Chicago Entrepreneurs Revived Family Restaurant Site

Owners of 14Forty Bar & Grill leveraged local grants to reopen a long-standing North Lawndale storefront.

Updated on Oct. 7, 2026 in Openings & Closings

A renovated brick storefront in an urban neighborhood, featuring large display windows and a clean entryway under bright morning light.
Shatondrea Cox-Williams and Patrick Williams successfully revived a long-standing North Lawndale restaurant site, reopening the 14Forty Bar & Grill this September. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Shatondrea Cox-Williams and Patrick Williams opened 14Forty Bar & Grill at 1440 S. Kedzie Ave. on September 26, 2026. The new restaurant restores a family business site that previously operated from the 1980s until 2013.

Why it matters

The project illustrates the persistence required to access municipal development capital, as the owners secured the storefront through the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund after four failed grant applications.

The owners required four separate grant application attempts before receiving approval from the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund in 2023. The new restaurant occupies the same footprint as the original family bar that closed in 2013.

The players

Shatondrea Cox-Williams

The co-owner of 14Forty Bar & Grill who managed the family's previous site from 2003 to 2013.

Patrick Williams

The co-owner of 14Forty Bar & Grill focused on reviving the family legacy at the Kedzie Avenue location.

Marchetta Hawkins

The professional chef responsible for developing the restaurant's menu offerings.

Greg Arnold

The bar manager who brings 25 years of experience to the restaurant's daily operations.

The details

Cox-Williams and Williams managed a full facility overhaul, moving from the initial 2023 grant approval to their September 2026 grand opening. To build the menu, the owners engaged a professional consultant alongside chef Marchetta Hawkins. The operation now features high-volume menu staples including ribeye steak and salmon to drive neighborhood foot traffic.

Timeline

  1. The site hosted a family-run bar starting in the 1980s.

  2. Shatondrea Cox-Williams managed the previous location from 2003 to 2013.

  3. The city approved a Neighborhood Opportunity Fund grant for the site in 2023.

  4. 14Forty Bar & Grill held its grand opening on September 26, 2026.

Market Landscape

The Neighborhood Opportunity Fund serves as a primary vehicle for Chicago to distribute tax revenue from downtown development into neighborhood projects. This opening mirrors the broader trend of utilizing municipal grant capital to stabilize legacy commercial storefronts.

Operators seeking municipal support should review the specific application requirements of the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund to understand the persistence necessary for approval. Focus on menu consulting and professional staffing to differentiate new concepts in legacy spaces.

The takeaway

Reviving a legacy site requires balancing historical neighborhood familiarity with professionalized operations like managed menu development. Monitor the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund’s annual application windows to determine if municipal development capital fits your growth strategy.

Further reading

Explore more local developments in the Chicago Openings & Closings section.

Source note: This article includes information reported by Chicago Defender.

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