The recently opened
Red Cow at 3624 W. 50th St. aims to be a “sophisticated neighborhood tavern."
The place offers all kinds of gourmet burgers, sandwiches, craft beers, and wines.
Lots of work went into repurposing the building, which previously housed a Blockbuster Video. It wasn’t equipped for a restaurant, says Red Cow owner Luke Shimp. Although the building still has “some reminiscences” of its old days, like the windows that wrap around the building, Red Cow stripped it down to its cinderblock walls, upgraded its utilities, and created a new storefront, he says. This summer, the restaurant plans to paint the façade a new color, as well.
For the interior, Shimp wanted a “warm and industrial feel,” with an open ceiling, wood on the walls, lipstick red booths, a polished concrete floor, and exposed light bulbs. Some parts of the ceiling feature antique tin, too, an example of how the place is a “mix of new and old,” he says.
A unique p-shaped bar makes it so that people “can see everyone across the room,” while work from local artists hangs on the walls.
So far, the Red Cow has been well received by the neighborhood. It helps that Shimp, who lives nearby, knows the neighborhood well. “I have connections in the neighborhood, so when the space became available, it was a natural fit for our style.”
“We couldn’t have asked for a better location,” he says. “It’s great for who we are and what we are and how we want to position ourselves.”
On top of that, Red Cow has a unique niche: “There isn’t anything like this at 50th and France. We’re differentiating ourselves from the rest. We’re happy to be here.”
Source: Luke Shimp, Red Cow
Writer: Anna Pratt