Freddy Laqunana and Andrea Michel got the crowd at Vern’s Tavern dancing, cheering and jumping Wednesday night with their karaoke rendition of the Nicki Minaj song “Super Bass.”
They sang to a packed house as people flooded the downtown Elgin bar to say goodbye on its final night before closing after four years.
“It’s a special night; we’re saying goodbye,” the DJ spinning the music said.
Jamie Berry, who named her business after her grandfather and used his signature from love letters to her grandmother for her logo, announced the South Grove Avenue bar’s closure on Facebook last week. She described it as an “unfortunate transition” but has not said why she decided to shut it down or if she wants to reopen elsewhere.
“So now I write a love letter to you,” Berry said in her social media post. “Our dear family, friends, customers, and neighbors. … It is with both a deep sadness and also a growing excitement that I share with you some hard news. For reasons beyond our control … Vern’s Tavern will be closing and moving out of our space.
“We have made a home in this space for the last 4 years and have created some of the most spectacular memories, met the most amazing people, and celebrated huge milestones together. Just like papas love notes, we will “write” while we are away. We will continue to show up in the community in ways that we can.”
Berry said naming bar after her “papa” was a way to honor a “southern gentleman with a big heart and a hard exterior. He worked hard for his family and instilled in us a way of life filled with strong values, sacrifice, and open arms.”
Customers felt that welcoming spirit.
Vern’s Tavern in downtown Elgin was temporarily closed in 2023 by plumbing problems and a dispute with building owner Andrew Cumming, which were later resolved. (Mike Danahey/The Courier-News)
Elgin City Councilman Dustin Good lives in the neighborhood and frequently dropped in at Vern’s, he said. He was among those saying goodbye Wednesday night.
The tavern provided a “sense of belonging” to all kinds of people, Good said. It was a place for people living downtown to stop by and hang out. With the recent renovation of DuPage Court and the soon-to-be-occupied Courtyard 40 apartment complex, Vern’s would have benefited from more people downtown, he said.
What’s next for the building is not known. It’s owned by Andrew Cummings and Cummings Holdings LLC, which has purchased 14 buildings around downtown Elgin. Cummings could not be reached for comment.
Jason Bauer was a regular customer at Vern’s who stopped by Wednesday for one last time. He always liked the place for “the vibes, the entertainment and the people you meet,” he said.
Bauer said he shed a tear when he heard about the closure, but added that he and his friends had created “great, great memories” while there.
In addition to being a place to drink and do karaoke, Vern’s offered live entertainment, including burlesque shows and drag performances, held sip-and-paint classes and other events, and most recently hosted an adult Easter egg hunt. One night a week they had Vern’s Silent Book Club, where patrons were invited to read and have a drink in silence.
Joanna Wells and Louis Salas started coming to Vern’s on a regular basis when karaoke night started in January. Salas said the atmosphere was a little like the sitcom that aired before he was even born.
“This is like that show, ‘Cheers,’ where you come here and everyone knows your name,” he said.
What the future might hold was referenced in a sign the placed outside the bar: “This isn’t goodbye. But a see you later. It will all be OKAY.”
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
