Tap This! For Rod - A Fundraiser For the Family of Our Friend

On October 8th, we lost a member of our Fischman family. Our dear friend Rodrigo Garcia, surrendered and lost his battle with depression.

Those of you that knew Rodrigo know this guy had a big heart and made everyone laugh! An amazing worker, Rodrigo was the guy behind the scenes at Fischman getting his hands dirty to make sure everything we did was a success. He was always there to help. Always going that extra mile. Always brightening someones day! Rod was truly one of kind and we've been truly blessed to have had him in our lives.

It’s our mission now to do what we can to help support his wife, Myriam, and four young kids while bringing awareness to such a sensitive subject such as Depression and Suicide.

Please help us raise funds for the Garcia Family. Its important to show these kids what a hard worker their father was, the respect he had in our community and the love and the admiration we all had for him.

Join us, November 6th 12:00pm-4:00pm at Mo Dailey's (6070 N. Northwest Hwy, Chicago, IL 60631) as we, Tap This! For Rod!

ON TAP!
The list will come soon. Confirmed breweries:
Mikerphone Brewing
Pipeworks Brewing Company
18th Street Brewery
Half Acre Beer Company
Aleman Brewing
Lake Effect Brewing Company LLC
Metropolitan Brewing
Three Floyds Brewing

Mo Dailey's is hosting and will be providing the space as well as all the yummy food!

RARE BOTTLE RAFFLE
To help raise extra funds we will be selling raffle tickets for donated rare bottles of beer, wine, spirits, etc...
Please reach out to marketing@fischmanliquors.com if you would like to donate for the raffle.  Your help is appreciated.

ENTRY: $30 - All the beer and food you can enjoy!
A small portion of this will cover food expenses. The rest all goes to Rodrigo's wife, Myriam Garcia and the kids.

We are flying Myriam and their 6 month old daughter out from Pennsylvania to the event. She can use all the love and support she can get and we are absolutely going to make certain she gets it.

For those who cannot attend and would still like to contribute you may do so here https://www.youcaring.com/myriam-garcia-675514

Please help us reach our goal by donating.

Thank you friends.

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Fischmans Will Live Again!

As reported by DNAInfo and Gus himself at the Friends and Family Event Tonight!

PORTAGE PARK — Fischman's Liquors will reopen next year in thePortage Theater building at Six Corners, the owners of the much-mourned community hub and craft beer emporium announced Saturday.

The half-bar, half-liquor storeclosed Sunday in Jefferson Parkbecause of a rent dispute between Gus and Shanna Karamaniolas, who owned the bar for eight years, and the owner of the building, Gus Karamaniolas' uncle.

Fischman's will reopen in 2017 in the same building as the Portage Theater, 4050 N. Milwaukee Ave., said Shanna Karamaniolas, who owns the bar with her husband, Gus.

"It will be a lot of fun," said Karamaniolas who announced the news Saturday evening at a gathering for longtime customers, employees and friends. "It all came together much faster than we expected."

Heather Cherone · DNAinfo Reporter

Will you travel to Six Corners to buy craft beer at the new Fischman's Liquors?

VOICE YOUR OPINION ON NHSQ 

Fischman's will continue to offer a wide selection of craft beer — and plans to host outdoor festivals similar to the ones that took place in Jefferson Park, Karamaniolas said.

In addition, the husband-and-wife team plan to open a small restaurant and beer garden, something they tried and failed to do at their previous location.

The new bar will take the place of four empty storefronts between the theater and Cuyler Avenue in the heart of Six Corners.

"We wanted to be really smart about the location that we picked," Karamaniolas said. "And this gives us everything we need."

While Karamaniolas said she and her husband were committed to remaining on the Far Northwest Side — where they are raising their sons — they had not planned to leave Jefferson Park.

"Jefferson Park is our home base," Karamaniolas said. "We wanted to stay there."

Karamaniolas said she and her husband had not considered Six Corners until Ald.John Arena (45th) and the Six Corners Association encouraged them to put the shopping district on their list of possible new homes.

Tricia Lombardo, the executive director of the Jefferson Park Chamber of Commerce, said in May that she was working to keep the community institution in Jefferson Park.

The storefronts — along with the former movie palace and 34 apartments — werepurchased in March by a Northbrook-based private equity firm from Eddie Carranza, who had long promised to transform the long-vacant storefronts into new shops and restaurants.

"There is a lot of foot traffic and parking," Karamaniolas said. "That was very important to us."

The closure of Fischman's, which hosted dozens of fundraisers and other community events — including a winter farmer's market — has left a hole in the center of theJefferson Park Business District and has complicated efforts led by Arena to revitalize the area.

But the news that Fischman's will reopen a mile south in Portage Park could boost efforts to revitalize Six Corners and accelerate the transformation of that stretch of Milwaukee Avenue into an entertainment destination with a vibrant night life.

"The area is really developing," Karamaniolas said. "We want to be a part of it."

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Thank You for 20 Great Years!

Thank you everyone for all your support through the years.  As of July 17th, Fischman Liquors and Tavern has closed.  We'll see you on the other side of the bar!

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Fischman Liquors and Tavern Announces Closure

Fischman Liquors and Tavern Announces Closure
Chicago's favorite craft beer emporium set to pour its last pint this July

CHICAGO, May 2, 2016/Fischman Liquors and Tavern/- Fischman Liquors and Tavern, a staple of the Jefferson Park community, has announced that the business, which includes a tavern and an attached liquor store, will be closing on or around July 17th, 2016.

Purchased by the Karamaniolas family in 1996, Fischman Liquors has since then been a family owned business focused on being a community location. For the past several years, the business has been driven by Gus and Shanna Karamaniolas, who took the business over from his father. Unfortunately, taking over the business did not mean taking over ownership of the actual property.

Focused on expanding the business to provide not only the community, but the city with a destination for great craft beer and friendly service, Fischmans was slated to open a restaurant, beer garden and much more. Due to internal family struggles over the nature and expansion of the business, the vision shared by Gus and his wife Shanna was consistently faced with road blocks beyond their control.

Recently celebrating the 20th Anniversary, and plans for several craft beer and community focused events, the road blocks have taken their toll. Unfortunately, the closing of Fischmans also means canceling our annual Kegs for Kidneys event.  This yearly event, which was created on behalf of Izzy, the niece of Gus and Shanna, has raised over $25,000 for the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois since its inception in 2012.

While the decision to close has been made, it was a struggle.  The love and support from everyone who has ever been to Fischmans has weighed heavy on the hearts of Gus and Shanna. Taking the bar, which was once seen as a "shot and a beer joint”, into a location known not only for a great beer selection, but events that bring the community together, was always the dream. And in the words of Gus, "The dream we had for this place, what we wanted to do, what we wanted it to be... that dream has died."

Although the dream may have died, let it be known it did not die without a fight. Constant battles with lawyers, lawsuits, family and even taking on expensive repairs to the building to keep the business open, ultimately led to the decision to close.  Closing a business because it is failing is one thing. Closing a business that has grown into an established success, due to an ongoing battle with family, makes this that much harder.

As the doors are locked for the last time, another family will be torn apart. A family that was built at Fischmans. Employees, customers, and everyone in the community was a part of what was considered family. The memories created here are memories that will live on forever. The friendships created here are friendships we hope will continue for years to come.

Gus and Shanna would whole-heartedly like to thank everyone for their support through the years. You helped make Fischmans the success it has become. From Tap This! to Kegs for Kidneys, Oktoberfest to Fischmas, each event was a success because of our Fischmans family.

Now as this chapter closes, a new one begins, and who knows what the future will bring. Fischmans may once again, Tap This!

Until the next time we raise a glass together…

Cheers,

“BDub”~ Brandon M Weninger

Brandon has worked with Fischmans since 2012 to help with special events, email marketing and maintaining the website… And occasionally ran around to push a camera in your face.

Contact:

Gus and Shanna Karamaniolas
Fischman Liquors and Tavern
info@fischmanliquors.com
marketing@fischmanliquors.com

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