TRUCE, Bucktown's Newest co*cktail And Coffee Bar, Opens On Damen Avenue (2024)

BUCKTOWN — A co*cktail and coffee bar offering all-day service that’s backed by a group of service industry veterans is now open in Bucktown.

TRUCE, 1935 N. Damen Ave., opened late last month. The bar and cafe has taken over the former home of 6 Degrees tavern, which closed in 2022.

TRUCE is owned and operated by two couples: Rami Ezzat and Sarah Kmiec, and David Mor and Matthew Hunnel, who all met working in various restaurants and bars across Chicago. They’ve worked for large hospitality groups and at smaller, independent spots, ranging from GT Fish and Oyster to Cindy’s Rooftop to North Center’s Robert et Fils.

As the city’s restaurant and bar scene started to rebound from the pandemic, the foursome began conceiving of opening a spot dedicated to co*cktails and eventually, coffee. One lesson from working in restaurants and bars during the COVID era was to use the space as much as possible, not just in the evening and nighttime, they said.

“Operating eight hours in the space that you’re paying for 24 hours out of the day just really doesn’t make sense,” Kmiec said. “So co*cktails and coffee ultimately became our thing.”

Mor, who also oversees the beverage program at Lilac Tiger in Wicker Park, led recipe development of the co*cktails on TRUCE’s menu with frequent input from the other partners.

Many of the drinks are plays off classic co*cktails. There’s also a seasonal section of the menu that will rotate every few months.

“There’s hints of nostalgia on the menu that I think put people at ease. And then you’re just immediately immersed into that comfortable co*cktail bar setting,” Mor said. “The goal is that when you walk in, you are immersed into a well-designed and well-lit space, so you’re cozy and comfortable from the get-go.”

In 2022, Kmiec noticed a listing for the 6 Degrees storefront. The group closed on the business in December of that year, kicking off an extensive renovation that involved building out a new bar and more.

The owners also began an extensive workshopping of the menu and “vibe” of the space, they said.

“We pretty much could have opened the next morning and painted a new sign or put a plastic sign up and say, ‘We’re a new business now.’ But we wanted to see what it would take to do it the right way,” Hunnel said. “And so the discovery phase of everything really took time.”

That led to the development of TRUCE’s inaugural co*cktail menu, which includes a “Kinda Classic” section featuring an espresso martini and the “World’s Best Bonsai Margarita Riff” with tequila, cantaloupe and lime, among other selections.

The menu also offers non-alcoholic options and what TRUCE’s owners are calling “two-fers” — long drinks like a shot of fernet with cream soda, or strawberry vermouth with sparkling water. Several wines and beers are also available, including a $4 Montucky lager.

Another highlight on the bar’s spring menu is the “Passenger Princess” co*cktail, which came together as the group sampled and tested recipes before opening.

Mor had been experimenting with a drink containing sparkling wine and a version without it. They couldn’t decide which one was better, so the final iteration offers the wine as a “sidecar” for customers to decide.

“It really was a collaboration of, ‘Well, we like them both, we don’t want to negate one or the other,’ and every guest has their own [preference],” Ezzat said. “That was the idea of how we came up with co*cktails that are fun, that are pleasant to drink. You might say, ‘Oh man, champagne always gives me headaches.’ Then don’t pour it in.”

For the coffee program, TRUCE has partnered with Yaggy Road Roasting Company, a small coffee roaster based in Valparaiso, Indiana.

The daytime menu features drinks like the “Season of Envy” with shizouka matcha and sea salt, as well as several iced options, standard espresso drinks, pour-over coffee, tea and cold brew.

The bar doesn’t have a full kitchen, but both the daytime and evening menus include small bites, like bagels and overnight oats in the morning and marinated olives, salmon rillettes and other snacks in the evening.

“The a.m. menu, you can definitely get something, grab it and go, but p.m. it’s just really cute, light bites to enjoy a little snack while you drink,” Kmiec said.

The TRUCE owners said they’ve been blown away by neighborhood interest in their bar since their soft opening a few weeks ago. They’re hoping it acts as a complementary business in a neighborhood filled with restaurants and taverns.

“We love Map Room and the beer bars and all that, but there’s not a dedicated co*cktail bar,” Mor said. “And so having something that really does hit that before and after dinner crowd has been, within a few days of being open, very noticeable.”

The TRUCE space features the bar upfront along with a communal table. Smaller tables line the back room, which can be closed off for private events.

The owners said customers are already starting to define the space, both as a coffee shop to work from or meet a friend, and a place to grab a co*cktail at the start or end of an evening.

“Being able to kind of build the two together has been really nice,” Ezzat said. “I have not seen anyone feel uneasy having a co*cktail at the communal table next to something having a laptop open. And that’s hopefully the vibe we’re creating: You’re welcome no matter what you’re doing.”

TRUCE is currently walk-in only. The bar and cafe is open 8 a.m.-3 p.m. daily and 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Thursday-Monday.

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