The Promontory, a combination restaurant, bar, and live music venue, is expected to open at 1539 East 53rd Street, at the intersection with South Lake Park Avenue, in the coming months. The Promontory is part of the Harper Court developments undertaken by the University of Chicago to bring retailers to Hyde Park. Promontory co-owner Bruce Finkelman did not disclose an exact opening date, but said that the restaurant would “open in the early summer.”

Finkelman, who owns the the Empty Bottle, a bar located in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood, partnered with the owner of Longman & Eagle, a restaurant in Logan Square, to develop the Promontory. Longman & Eagle serves American cuisine; Finkelman said the Promontory’s menu will draw from what is currently offered there.

Finkelman characterized the concept of the Promontory as, in part, a response to Hyde Park’s relative lack of nightlife.

“When people look at Chicago, people look at Chicago, meaning the Loop. Hyde Park was never really thought of as a destination for arts and entertainment,” Finkelman said.

He suggested that the Promontory, along with other ongoing developments around 53rd Street, will make Hyde Park more lively.

“It’s not that the Promontory by itself will change [Hyde Park’s entertainment scene]…you need a host of different components to build a new level of activity. The Harper Court development along with the incoming Whole Foods are a start,” Finkelman said.