Eleven 26 To Bring Speakeasy Vibes, Live Music To Former Busy Bee Spot

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — "What if? Why not?" Suzanne Positano can't forget her late brother Steve Jessen's mantra. For one, his three daughters got the phrase tattooed on them after Steve died of brain cancer in 2015. Beyond that, these words summed up Steve's irrepressible live-in-the-moment attitude, which Positano said is what inspired her to bring live music, small plates and craft cocktails to Downers Grove with Eleven 26.

The venue, which she told Patch will have "speakeasy vibes," will occupy the former Busy Bee Bakery location at 5126 Main Street. Eleven 26 gets its name from Steve's birthday, which was on Nov. 26.

Positano said she had searched for a couple of years before the Busy Bee spot won her heart. The building number, 5126, coincidentally, combines Steve's birthdate with her favorite number, five.

“I know he’s here," Positano told Patch about Steve, who she described as “the guy you would call at 3 a.m. to fix a tire... such a giving, loving human being."

She said Steve "loved music" and inspired those around him to "have no fear."

Positano recalled a time when she and Steve went rappelling, and she found herself frozen with terror.

She recalls him saying, "Life is so short? Why are you scared."

Those words echoed in Positano's ears for years as she continued her work in the entertainment industry. She had started out as a model and actress in her teens, and then began working with venues and productions. She told Patch her long list of past clients includes "Dancing with the Stars," "American Idol" and Kevin Costner, to name a few.

Positano got bitten by the entertainment and hospitality bug when her parents owned the Old Elm Café in Elmhurst. She recalls that the restaurant was near the York Theatre, another bit of synchronicity for her, as Eleven 26 will be within walking distance of the Tivoli Theatre.

With decades in the industry, along with connections via Steve and her other brother, Michael, who is also a musician, Positano is poised to make Eleven 26 a go-to venue for entertainment in the area.

Eleven 26 is set to feature two bars, one in front and one in a back room, which she says guests will be able to access via a secret door, she said. The back room will feature the venue's stage, where Positano plans to host live music six nights a week.

The schedule will include live bands, cabaret entertainment, open mic nights, singer-songwriter features and other performances by both local and national acts.

Visitors will be able to fortify themselves with tapas, small plates and inventive craft cocktails.

Positano said she even hopes to include a treat inspired by the late Busy Bee Bakery owner Chuck Kalousek, who died of coronavirus in 2021. The beloved bakery shut its doors shortly after, and the spot has been vacant since then.

“The story is sad about the bakery," Positano said, "But the history on it is amazing...how many [people] loved the Busy Bee."

Positano hopes Eleven 26 can also make a lasting difference in the Downers Grove community.

"We have a lot of cool ideas that we want to do in our community through Eleven 26 to help," she said.

They are already planning a VIP club, weekly gospel brunches and a festival in the summer to help raise funds to help battle brain cancer.

"Music brings people together, so I want to be able to create that in Downers and make it something special and create what I want with my own team and make it family," Positano told Patch.

Eleven 26 is aiming for a spring 2024 grand opening, with live music, including performances by Positano's son and her brother Michael. There will even be a replica of Steve's guitar at the venue.

“[Steve] didn’t want to die," she said. "He wanted to live, so at least I can live and do something."

From Suzanne Positano:

Steve is survived by his three daughters, Caylee 30, Molly 26, Megan, 23, and his wife, Dawn Jessen

Each of Steve's children graduated college, which was his goal for them. They are all in the medical field. Molly is a surgical nurse, Caylee is a speech pathologist and Megan is soon to be a PA. when she finishes grad school.

Caylee is married and just had a baby, who is now 10 months old. Hudson Steve is Steve's first grandson.

His parents are Don and Dolores Jessen. His brother, Mike, is the general contractor for Eleven 26.