10 New Venues in Chicago for Summer 2023 Meetings and Events

The Color Factory, an interactive art museum, began hosting private events for up to 250 guests in April. At 25,000 square feet, the color-drenched space has 14 exhibits and a 1,500-square-foot lobby lounge that can hold receptions for approximately 200 guests. Additional event spaces include the 758-square-foot Confetti Room, where blue, red, and white confetti pours down from the ceiling. The room can hold seated dinners for 25 guests. Additional perks include a 2,600-square-foot ball pit, which has two giant slides and a sea of mint-green balls. A built-in camera system captures photos of guests in 12 different areas of the museum. Event hosts can add branded digital overlays to the images, which guests can download after the event. The rental fee includes giveaways that are part of the museum experience. The particular items vary by season but may include anything from custom sticker sheets to jelly beans and ice cream.

The St. Regis Chicago opened in Lakeshore East this May. The luxury hotel has 13,414 square feet of event space. The largest event space, the Astor Ballroom, measures approximately 5,000 square feet and can hold receptions for 500 guests. Ideal for welcome receptions, the East Terrace can hold 106 guests for standing events. The hotel also has ample boardroom and prefunction space, as well as smaller ballrooms. On the 11th floor, Japanese restaurant Miru has indoor and outdoor event space for 10 to 300 guests. Named after the Japanese word for “view,” it has gorgeous views of the lake and city skyline. Menu items include crispy rice with spicy bluefin tuna, Maine lobster soba, and Miso black cod. The 12,000-square-foot spa offers bespoke treatments ranging from massages and facials to guided meditations. It can host intimate gatherings for eight guests. Tre Dita, a Tuscan steakhouse, will open on the second floor this fall.

The Oakville Grill & Cellar debuted in Fulton Market in April. The rustic venue serves California-inspired cuisine, including housemade pappardelle, fried chicken, and West Coast Petrale sole. The main dining room can seat 200 guests. Its patio can seat an additional 40 guests. For more intimate events, a private tasting room known as The Cellar Door has six seats. An all-season terrace, which features an indoor-outdoor bar, can seat 80 guests. This is a perfect gathering space for oenophiles: The venue has Chicago's largest California-exclusive wine list, with more than 750 wines on offer.

The Understudy opened in Andersonville in March. Part theater, part coffee shop, and part bookstore, the cozy venue can host receptions for 80 guests. It has an on-site kitchen and a bar counter. The whimsical space is equipped with folding chairs, high-top and cabaret tables, and an upright piano. It’s also stocked with lounge furniture including a Chesterfield sofa and wingback chairs. Decorative accents include an archway lined with custom wallpaper and an entire wall plastered with script pages.

The Green at 320 is a new park in downtown Chicago, located across the street from Union Station. The lushly planted park, which hosts its first full season of events this summer, spans 1.5 acres. It has a 10,000-square-foot lawn, a small amphitheater, and multiple seating alcoves. The sprawling space can host alfresco events for 800 guests. It connects to a driveway that allows for easy load-in or food truck access. It also has an on-site bar and caterer, and furniture is available for rent.

Biȃn, a private health and wellness club, came to River West in late 2020. This May, it unveiled a 9,000-square-foot expansion that includes three new event spaces. The club now has a back lounge and restaurant that can seat 50 guests or hold receptions for 75. It also has two new conference rooms, which seat 12 guests apiece and are equipped with state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment. Biȃn maintains its original dining room can seat 160 guests, or hold receptions for 120. A semiprivate dining room, also original to the venue, seats 16 guests and holds receptions for 25. Other event spaces include the riverside patio, which holds receptions for 80 guests or seated functions for 50. The Listening Room, which is equipped with a McIntosh sound system and an extensive vinyl collection, seats eight guests for intimate events.

Bodega Taqueria y Tequila, a Florida-based chain, opened its first Chicago location in the West Loop in May. At the front of the space, a casual taqueria is decked with a vintage Airstream trailer, subway tiles, and decorative graffiti. A door at the back of the taqueria opens to a speakeasy-style lounge with exposed-brick walls, vintage signs, and tufted leather sofas. At 1,600 square feet, the speakeasy can hold 150 guests for standing events and can seat 75. The venue has full audiovisual capabilities and can provide microphones, a projector, TVs, and sound. It also has a full-service bar and an on-site catering kitchen. Menu items include short rib tacos, ceviche, fried yuca, burritos, and margarita pitchers. Entertainment add-ons are also available and include a mariachi band and a photo booth.

King Karaoke opened in Chinatown in April. Available for buyout, the venue can hold 300 guests. It also has 12 private karaoke rooms, which can hold anywhere from eight to 40 guests. Each room has a table embedded with LED lights and a button for on-demand service. Several of the karaoke rooms have private restrooms. The venue serves craft cocktails and offers bottle service. Its menu offers inventive, Asian-inspired pub fare. For example, guests can nibble on duck "nachos," which are served on crispy moo shu pancakes. Pork belly bao and shrimp tempura skewers are also on the menu.

Saltwater Coastal Grill came to Rosemont in May. The nautical, 7,500-square-foot restaurant is available for buyout and can host receptions for 395 guests. For alfresco functions, there are two fairy-light-strung patios that seat 28 and 40 guests, respectively. Inside, the Mediterranean Room seats 64, while the Island Creek Room seats 42. An area known as Sushi World—which has, you guessed it, a sushi bar—can seat 24 guests. Event menus can include clam chowder shooters, fried fish sliders, oyster towers, and sushi boats.

Fioretta, an Italian-American steakhouse, sprang up in Fulton Market this April. With a midcentury aesthetic inspired by the legendary Copacabana, the 8,200-square-foot venue has several private dining spaces. The Bar Room seats 75 guests amid a marble-topped bar, a main performance stage, and a DJ booth. The main dining room seats 100 guests and has tables and lavender mohair booths. The private dining room, also known as the Velvet Room, can host dinners for 30 guests. It's decked in blue velvet drapery, crystal sconces, and walnut accents. The Velvet Room also has a hidden TV monitor for presentations. The Penthouse is a 9,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor event space that has a lounge, a boardroom with seating for 50, and a terrace. Menu items include dry-aged steaks, a Caesar salad prepared tableside, and butter-poached lobster.