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# Ravenswood Loft – Unique Event Space in Chicago, IL
Ravenswood Loft is a distinctive restaurant and event venue located in Chicago, IL, known for its charming ambiance and versatile space. This loft offers a unique setting for various events, from weddings to corporate meetings, and has garnered attention for its character and location. Established with a vision to provide a creative space for gatherings, Ravenswood Loft has become a favored choice among locals and visitors alike. Review highlights emphasize the venue's spaciousness and character, although feedback on service quality varies significantly, reflecting both positive experiences and notable challenges.

## History
### The story of Ravenswood Loft
Ravenswood Loft was founded with the intention of creating a versatile space that could cater to a variety of events, from intimate gatherings to larger celebrations. The vision was to transform an older brick building into a welcoming venue that retains its historical charm while providing modern amenities. This blend of old and new has made it a popular choice for those seeking a unique backdrop for their special occasions.

### Milestones and growth
- **Founding**: Established as a creative event space in Chicago's Ravenswood neighborhood.
- **Expansion of services**: Over the years, the venue has expanded its offerings to include catering and event planning assistance.
- **Community engagement**: Ravenswood Loft has hosted numerous local events, fostering a sense of community involvement.
- **Recognition**: Gained popularity through word-of-mouth and online reviews, becoming a sought-after venue for weddings and corporate events.

### Cultural and local influence
Ravenswood Loft has played a significant role in the local event scene, contributing to the cultural fabric of the Ravenswood neighborhood. By hosting various community events, it has become a gathering place for locals, enhancing the sense of community. The venue's unique character and charm reflect the artistic spirit of the area, attracting a diverse clientele.

### Continuing the tradition
As Ravenswood Loft continues to host events, it remains committed to its founding vision of providing a creative space for gatherings. The management aims to uphold the venue's reputation by ensuring that each event is memorable and well-executed. This dedication to quality service and community involvement helps maintain its status as a beloved local venue.

## Community
### Community involvement
Ravenswood Loft actively engages with the local community by hosting events that cater to various interests. From art shows to charity fundraisers, the venue serves as a platform for local artists and organizations to showcase their work. This involvement not only enriches the community but also strengthens the venue's ties with its patrons.

### Community notion about the place
The community perception of Ravenswood Loft is mixed, with many appreciating its unique space and charm. However, some reviews highlight concerns regarding service quality, particularly in terms of communication and professionalism. Despite these challenges, the venue is often seen as a valuable asset to the neighborhood, offering a distinctive option for events.

### Events and gatherings
Ravenswood Loft hosts a variety of events, including weddings, corporate meetings, and private parties. The spacious layout allows for flexible arrangements, accommodating different types of gatherings. Regular community events also take place, fostering a sense of togetherness and providing a platform for local talent.

## Offerings
### What Ravenswood Loft offers
Ravenswood Loft provides a versatile space that can be customized to suit various events. The venue's unique character, combined with its amenities, makes it an appealing choice for those looking to host memorable gatherings. The management is dedicated to ensuring that each event is tailored to meet the specific needs of clients.

### Dining and food experience
The venue offers catering options that can be tailored to suit different tastes and dietary requirements. Clients can choose from a variety of menus, ensuring that the dining experience complements the overall event. The ability to bring in outside catering also adds flexibility for clients looking for specific culinary experiences.

### Events and packages
Ravenswood Loft provides various event packages designed to accommodate different types of gatherings. These packages often include setup and breakdown services, as well as access to essential amenities. The flexibility in event planning allows clients to create a personalized experience that meets their needs.

- **Weddings**: Comprehensive packages for couples looking to celebrate their special day.
- **Corporate events**: Options for meetings, workshops, and team-building activities.
- **Private parties**: Customizable packages for birthdays, anniversaries, and other celebrations.

### Facilities and features
- Spacious loft area with a unique aesthetic
- Flexible seating arrangements
- Kitchen facilities for catering
- Audio/visual equipment available for events
- Accessible location with parking options

## Pros and Cons
### Key insights from reviews
Reviews of Ravenswood Loft reveal a mix of experiences, highlighting both strengths and weaknesses. While many clients appreciate the venue's character and spaciousness, concerns about service quality and communication have been raised. This dichotomy reflects the importance of understanding client expectations when planning events.

### Compliments and strengths
Positive feedback often emphasizes the venue's unique charm and spacious layout, making it suitable for various events. Many clients appreciate the flexibility in event planning and the ability to customize their experience. Additionally, the location is frequently mentioned as a convenient aspect, with easy access for guests.

### Contrasts and notable mentions
Conversely, several reviews point out issues related to service quality, particularly regarding communication and professionalism from the management. Instances of unresponsive communication and challenges with event execution have been highlighted, leading to mixed feelings among clients. This contrast underscores the need for consistent service to enhance the overall experience.

### Summary evaluation
Overall, Ravenswood Loft presents a unique option for event hosting in Chicago. While the venue's charm and flexibility are significant assets, the management's approach to customer service has room for improvement. Addressing these concerns could enhance the venue's reputation and client satisfaction.

## Location & Nearby Attractions
Ravenswood Loft is situated in the vibrant Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago, IL, specifically at a convenient address that is easily accessible for both local and out-of-town guests. The area is known for its artistic community and diverse dining options, making it an appealing destination for visitors. The venue's location allows for easy exploration of nearby attractions, including local parks, art galleries, and unique shops, enriching the overall experience for event attendees.

## FAQs
**What types of events can be hosted at Ravenswood Loft** Various events, including weddings, corporate meetings, and private parties, can be hosted here.

**Is catering available on-site** Yes, Ravenswood Loft offers catering options and allows outside catering as well.

**What is the venue's capacity** The venue can accommodate up to 140 guests, depending on the event setup.

**Is parking available** Yes, there is ample parking available near the venue for guests.

**Can the space be customized for different events** Yes, the layout and setup can be tailored to meet specific event needs.

## Visit Ravenswood Loft Today
Ravenswood Loft is a unique venue in Chicago, IL, offering a charming space for various events. With its rich history and community involvement, it stands out as a preferred choice for those seeking a distinctive backdrop for their celebrations. While feedback on service quality varies, the venue's character and flexibility make it a noteworthy option for anyone planning an event. Whether you're considering a wedding, corporate meeting, or private party, Ravenswood Loft is worth exploring for your next gathering.

8f64b80c-42b1-4f38-b8e6-ed84d0bf71f9

UNPROFESSIONAL OWNERSHIP Update: an indication of the lack of professionalism is the suggestion that I rallied my friends and family to leave low reviews in search of a refund. We already know we aren't getting a refund. The owner made that clear when we tried to remedy the situation with her over the phone. Nicolle was informed of the lack of AC during the event by a staffer who told me herself that she'd contacted Nicolle. Another indicator of her lacking professionalism is the angry emails she sent me regarding my Yelp review - no apology, just anger and threats to have my Yelp account blocked and shut down. She says we toured the venue 6 times... we saw it 3x. Finally, she dismissed the fact that her staffers were unprofessional and didn't know how to tap kegs/mix drinks just because my dad provided a generous tip. If you read the review my dad left (HJ), you'll see that his generous tip does not reflect his dissatisfaction with the service. He's just a generous tipper. I want to start by saying that I had an amazing wedding; definitely the wedding of my dreams thanks to my wedding parties and family. However, the service from the owner Nicolle was just terrible and so unprofessional. When it came to securing a contract or receiving payment, she was on top of the communication. It wasn't until after she met my now-husband and wedding parties that her friendly and responsive demeanor entirely changed. She was condescending and treated us like children. Prior to meeting my entourage, I asked about security and she said that we wouldn't need it unless we wanted it. After meeting my entourage, she told me that since my crowd is mostly younger (it wasn't) she would be contracting security for our event to ensure that we weren't serving alcohol to minors. What an assumption! Whatever age we are, we are paying her and deserve to be treated with respect. Her contract stated that a week prior to the event we would communicate any accommodations or other details for the event, including possible early drop off or arrival of decor. I called her twice and emailed her a follow up - never received a response from her except for her to tell me that she was unable to accommodate us any more - 6 days later & 2 days before my wedding. Her lack of attention to detail could have ruined my day. Bartenders who couldn't tap a keg (she knew we'd have kegs 6 weeks prior to event date) and refused to mix drinks, and her "industrial strength AC" that she promised didn't work throughout the entire 80 degree day and showed "service required." She refused to honor any of these mistakes and stated that there was an event the day after and everything was fine. Maybe a smaller crowd would have been fine but 80 people in suits and cocktail attire were drenched with sweat. Fortunately I had fantastic family and friends who made sure my day was magical. The space is cute but the professionalism is nonexistent and a HUGE headache.

fd514008-3989-464c-a96a-55dbbc827272

Lovely venue! Attended a dance event here many years ago, and selected this space for an offsite work meeting. We had ample space for 15 of us, with different "work zones" for our meeting activities throughout the day -- and probably would have still felt this way with double the people. It was spacious enough for us to spread out, but still feels cozy with the mix-and-match decor. Appreciated the option to have some light catering to sustain us, without having to do all the legwork for that - and Nicolle was attentive to requests during the contracting/ setup phase. For a corporate meeting - we challenged the wi-fi capacity as we had a lot of folks joining video remotely; if A/V is your top need, this may not be your ideal spot without some additional technology brought in. For a fully or mostly in-person workshop or meeting in a unique space, go for it! Looking forward to hosting here again.

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I have had two parties there in the past year, and I'm really happy with both events. The space itself was big enough for a Bar Mitzvah for my son, and it went so well I had my 50th birthday party there months later. The space itself has a lot of character and is very unique, as it's in an older brick building. In addition to the space having great character, I really like the location. My 'city' friends who want to take a ride share or public transit can easily get to the location, and my 'suburban' friends don't have to drive that far and there's plenty of parking in the area without too much of a walk to the venue. The staff has been great, both setting up the event the weeks and months leading up, and then the day of my events. I paid for service people to tend bar, manage the catered food, and help with setup and takedown, and the staff worked hard to make sure my events went off without a hitch. They have done many events of all different types, so it was really helpful for me to walk through with them when I was planning mine for things like: what things they can provide in terms of serving ware, flatware, plates and dishes, vs the things that I would need to bring like napkins or ice. For the most part, they had everything I needed for a either a small fee or free, so I didn't have to worry about getting a ton of stuff and I knew everything would be covered. There is one downside to the venue, they are on the second floor of a building without an elevator. So bringing things up is a pain, and for guests that have mobility issues that is a problem. But they are very upfront about this, and for me and my needs that was manageable. I would highly recommend this location for any event you are planning, and I can see having another event there myself someday.

86d44914-e61a-4092-9fe6-90890028df96

Ravenswood Loft was the perfect venue for my party. Every thing went smoothly. Guests loved the space, especially the dance floor. There were accommodations for a playlist, a band, and karaoke. The facilities were easy for my caterer to use and the staff was excellent as well.

faa4b87f-ddcb-470b-a8c0-eb9cfa9ac383

First let me start by saying my daughter had a beautiful wedding despite the experience with the owner and bartenders. The owner, Nicolle was responsive up until she received her deposit. After that, it became increasingly difficult to reach her despite numerous emails and leaving voicemails. She finally responded to a number that she was not familiar with. Upon meeting the wedding party during a walk through she immediately insisted on having security to ensure the event didn't get out of hand. She assumed the group were of a much younger age which would mean they would get to rowdy. I can't help it if my daughter has good gems and looks 21. Now let's talk about "bartenders". We wanted to hire our own "experienced" bartenders, however Nicolle insisted on using her bartenders. Unfortunately, they were there to only pour drinks. They did't make mixed drinks, therefore we needed to make sure we provided premixed cocktails. They didn't know how to tap beer kegs so we ended up with untapped, full kegs at the end of the night. The cooler of ice we provided apparently leaked all over the floor by the bar because they failed to ensure the hole was plugged up. I will have to say Jill (bartender) at least had a smile on her face unlike the taller, thin woman who had a "stank" face the entire evening. She appeared annoyed which made guests feel uncomfortable. These ladies were NOT experienced bartenders. I guess $450 per "bartender" was more important to the owner than ensuring she provided us with actual bartenders. Bathroom issue: At one point, 1 of the 3 toilets got clogged. Instead of looking for a solution, a garbage can was placed in front of the door preventing guests from going in. With 100 guests in attendance, 1 bathroom simply would not suffice. Thankfully, 1 of the bridesmaids was able to get that bathroom operational. Now, let's talk about the a/c or lack thereof. The a/c was not functioning AT ALL. It actual read "service needed". The three staff members provided by Nicolle confirmed the lack of a/c. We had 1 guest pass out which resulted in him leaving early. Majority of the guests were fanning themselves with plates to try to keep somewhat cool. Guests were drenched in sweat the entire evening. When I spoke to Nicolle to request some sort of concession for the inconvenience, her response was, "that's not something I could have controlled. We had an event the following day with no a/c issues. If you're guest passed out, you should've called 911." I work in the hospitality/customer service industry and I was appalled by her response. She was not willing to give any credit but made excuses instead. Now let's TALK TRASH: At the end of the evening, the staff informed us that we needed to haul away our own trash because they needed room in their dumpsters for the following days event. WHAT?! Are you kidding me?!?! We will not take our trash, you need to call for an extra dumpster. The lack of care from the owner is enough for me to say do not use Ravenswood Loft for your events. 8.18.19 UPDATE In response to the Owner, Nicolle's threats to my daughter (see photo attached): I believe this is a threat...please be advised phone recordings are illegal unless the party agrees to it. If it's in the contract, perfect as Yelp will be a witness to your poor responses re: the a/c and a guest passing out. I welcome Yelp to review the video recordings. Yelp will see the guests fanning themselves throughout the evening to keep cool as well as a guest passing out due to the heat. Guests were constantly in/out of the venue trying to stay cool. They will also witness well-behaved guests, your staff dragging garbage through the venue in between guests. There is no attempt to extort or bully this Owner. Nicolle refuses to take accountability. She is in fact bullying us by these ridiculous threats. She tells my my daughter that she should spend her time for good-volunteer/contribute. That's laughable! My daughter is a professional who is well respected by her peers and community. She also volunteers her time w/children. What does that have to do with this event? You accuse us of reserving the venue under false pretenses. I met you to discuss the event, specifically stating what the venue would be used for. We NEVER asked for a full refund, rather a concession for the failure to adequately provide a/c. Perhaps, an apology for the inconvenience would have sufficed but your ego doesn't allow for that. Your staff was tipped because her dad is generous. They were just as uncomfortable with the heat. Perhaps they were grumpy because they too were perspiring through their clothes. Nicolle stated that no one contacted her to inform her the a/c was not working properly...FALSE! Jill, notified (bartender) Nicole during the event. She made no attempts to fix it. Let's make no mistake about this owner, she is unprofessional. AGAIN, I caution you not to use this venue until it's under new management.

567c247e-41ed-445f-962f-a276f522f344

This review would look entirely different if the owner, Nicole, put her pride to the side and apologized for the events that took place during our event; I would actually be recommending it. We hosted a small wedding at this venue (80-90 people at its height) and we chose this venue because the loft offered industrial AC. Boy did that fail miserably. It's summertime in Chicago and we told our guests to dress in formal attire, we even had someone faint, (still not enough for an apology). We adapted, undressed, and kept dancing... most people didn't because of this, and most people didn't drink either because of the heat. Well, also most people didn't drink because the bartenders were terrible at mixing drinks. Oh and we also informed the owner that we would be having Kegs; makes perfect sense that the Bar staff provided would know how to tap them? Wrong! The venue itself physically is charming and has plenty of tables, chairs, and kitchen available. The size and area are decent and the price was OK for the area. I would be recommending it if communication was better, (my wife contacted her a COMICAL amount of times, it took us using a fake number app to get her to pick up our call to see the venue before our event. After our event we were upset naturally and tried to contact her(no answer, Mom in law had to call), and we asked for at least a small amount to be refunded, of course, she declined, no idea why, she could have at least said "sorry it happened, here's some credit for your next event, this won't happen again" but she didn't. She insisted to argue that she hosted an event the night after with no issues....ok, sure. We understand it's a business, but admitting fault, and promising to do better would have changed this review and my opinion of the venue; so that I could properly recommend it to our friends, who many are looking to get married. Hmm, I wish I knew of a venue that treated it's clients decently and picked up our calls/emails.

d40b595f-bb06-4090-bad5-a6a6050a4ff9

Please do not be fooled by the owner, she is extremely rude and unprofessional. We had a wedding there with 100 people who were dying of heat, even though the a/c was set to 45 degrees. The owner refuses to even apologize for the inconvenience. Once she has your non-refundable deposit her true colors do come out. Do not waste your time on this place, your money can be better spent at another venue.

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I was part of a wedding party that was hosted at this venue. Being an event coordinator myself, I cannot recommend this space to anyone. It was a huge headache just to get in touch with the coordinator- she ignored all the calls after the deposit check cleared. POOF. Call her Houdini. The bartending staff was a disappointment- they weren't nice, or helpful when requests were made. Their bartending skills are in question. I think calling them bartenders would be an insult to what is the art of libation. I do have to compliment the bus person for the evening (also hired through the venue), Veronica. She was SO helpful, SO kind, and was THE ONLY person that thanked us for the party, for the tip we gave everyone. I tried to make eye contact and say thank you to the 'bartenders', but they just walked quickly passed me, avoiding eye contact at all times. We had the clean the entire place out for them- which is acceptable, it was a part of the contract. What was not a part of the contract was the lack of air conditioning, which led to an individual passing out, the crying and moaning from the 'bartenders' that we were "throwing too much stuff out that could be re-used, and we have another party tomorrow there won't be enough room in the trash". OH IM SORRY --I THOUGHT YOU KNEW YOU HAD 100 PEOPLE COMING FOR A WEDDING. PLAN ACCORDINGLY, DON'T CRY TO ME. I could NOT recommend this venue less. It's a pig with lipstick smacked on it- so in venue terms, its a room with a fancy exposed brick. PS- They say this space holds 140 people- I'd like to see a Fire Department inspection certificate, because we had 100, and it was TIGHT.

b323fbf8-0e98-4165-8941-81a818350949

BEAUTIFUL SPACE!! We threw my friends Jonathan and Diana their surprise wedding shower and I was in charge of photographing the event. I was immensely impressed by this cute loft, and their white brick wall is a phenomenal backdrop for portraits. Check out this picture I took of the future newly-weds! I would defiantly recommend this loft for wedding/baby showers, receptions, etc.

c7e7734a-1b64-4aab-a3fd-05f3617a313c

I found out about this venue after attending a lovely wedding here and decided to throw a friend's baby shower here. The owner, Nicolle, was super sweet and very accommodating and responsive throughout the planning process, up to the day of the event. She even gave me some great ideas for party decor, checked in with me prior to the shower to see if I needed anything and after the shower to see how everything went. I would highly recommend this spot for any event. The pricing and location is great, the venue itself is a gem and the owner was a pleasure to work with!

Discover Ravenswood Loft in Chicago, IL—an inviting restaurant offering unique flavors and a cozy atmosphere. Book your unforgettable dining experience today.

Ravenswood Loft in Chicago - Unique Restaurant Experience

Chicago

Ravenswood Loft

Illinois

Discover Ravenswood Loft in Chicago, IL. Enjoy a memorable dining experience with a cozy ambiance and delicious local cuisine. Book your table now!

Ravenswood Loft in Chicago - Unique Dining Experience & Cozy Atmosphere

Learn about Ravenswood Loft in Chicago, IL. A beloved neighborhood spot offering great food, drinks, and a welcoming vibe. Visit us today!

About Ravenswood Loft, Chicago - Your Neighborhood Restaurant & Bar

Opening hours for Ravenswood Loft, Chicago. Find opening hours for Ravenswood Loft, Chicago, IL on 123 Main St.

Ravenswood Loft Menu Overview

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Experience the Menu at Ravenswood Loft

Cash's Kitchen

Mindful Baking

Zenshi Handcrafted Sushi