Banging Gavel Brews Debuts Taproom, Menu In Soft Open

TINLEY PARK, IL — A long-awaited addition to downtown Tinley is closer to its grand opening and now welcoming people into its taproom, a highly anticipated glimpse inside the historic Vogt House after years of renovations.

Banging Gavel Brews, 17400 S. Oak Park Ave. in downtown Tinley Park, has launched a soft open, with an exact date for a grand opening not yet planned. Fans can step inside the restored historic building, with drinks and a limited food menu available in the days and weeks ahead. Banging Gavel is not yet brewing its own beer, but offers several guest beers on tap in the meantime. Wine is also available, and a cocktail menu will also soon be offered.

"With the soft open underway, we are excited to finally welcome our guests to experience a little taste of what’s to come," said Banging Gavel's Brand Marketing Director Beckie Richert O'Connor.

"I have had the chance to get to know our new team who will serve our customers at the highest level. And I have to say, what they each bring to the table is amazing!

The brewery's Bier Garten is also open, with a slate of live music set for the weekend.

Current hours are set at 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, 2 to 11 p.m. on Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays, and 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays. Passengers aboard the Ale Trail Trolley are invited to stop in on Wednesdays.

Banging Gavel will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Hours will expand over time, said Brand Marketing Director for Banging Gavel Beckie Richert O'Connor.

Saturday, Sept. 23, the brewery will host its Brews and Jams fundraiser for Embrace Emily, an organization with a mission to empower members of our community who are affected by breast cancer and other cancers by helping to offset costs associated with treatment. Admission is free, with silent auctions and 50/50 raffles planned. Ten percent of proceeds will go to the organization.

The day includes live music from 2 to 7 p.m., with the lineup including:

• 2 p.m.: Tim Frederickson and John Weeks
• 2:30: Mike & Jess
• 3:00: Traveling Dan Hamilton
• 3:30: Dave Gorka
• 4:00: Whiskey and Harmony
• 4:30: KRow Live
• 5:00: The Todd Show
• 5:30: Joe Orozco
• 6:00: After Hours

Football will play on TVs inside the taproom Saturdays and Sundays, with some items being added to the brunch menu, O'Connor said. Musicians John and Grace will also return to Bier Garten Sunday, Sept. 24, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The staggered, gradual opening of Banging Gavel has been much-anticipated, after years spent to transform the structure from its previous incarnation as a landmark, into a working brewery. A painstaking process, but one the folks behind Banging Gavel have believed will be well worth the wait.

Partners O'Connor and her husband Kyle (Business Development), Jim Richert (President), and Ed Richert (Secretary/Treasurer) started the brewery in 2014, naming it after Jim Richert's profession of practicing law. Jim Richert has lived in Tinley for 30 years; Ed Richert has lived in Orland for 40 years. Kyle and Beckie O'Connor live in the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago.

Brothers Jim and Ed Richert made their first homebrew in 2013 and kept going with Ed’s daughter and her husband, Beckie and Kyle O’Connor, as partners. The family-owned craft brewery has developed 28 styles of beers and introduced them at various local craft beer festivals and craft beer shops since 2014. J.T. Rea joined as head brewer in 2021 and Ed Nemec came on board in 2023 as Director of Operations.

Initially brewing out of Church Street Brewing in Itasca, the owners have long dreamt of making beer at their own brewery. With equipment now in place in the basement of the Vogt House, they're closer, but not quite there yet.

They purchased the building in 2017, and encountered some typical — and not-so-typical — obstacles along the way. Built in 1865, the Vogt Building came with challenges for a brewing business looking for a workable space, but also plenty of charm. As they took on the transformation, the Banging Gavel partners sought to preserve as much of the historical context and designs as possible. With a Brunswick-style bar, bathrooms with fixtures and decor inspired by the Italianate style from the mid 19th century, and painstakingly restored trims, wood floors, and original staircase, the owners hope their attention to detail shows.

A grand opening date will be set once their beer is ready, O'Connor told Patch.

"Our unique beer recipes developed by the talented JT Rea will release at our grand opening," O'Connor said. "We are close to introducing our specialty cocktails developed by our head mixologist Jessica Galloway, and if you come in now, you will get to experience our shareable plates menu developed by Chris Gagner."

O'Connor believes the menu will impress.

"I have to say everything I have tried is top notch," she said.

For now, fans can step inside and get a glimpse of the taproom and decorated interior, with limited glimpses of the event space within Banging Gavel. Outside, Banging Gavel fans can still enjoy the Bier Garten, with overhead string lights, live music, and a fire pit nearby.

Real-time updates and the latest on hours and offerings are available on Banging Gavel Brew's Facebook page.