There's a place on Lincoln Avenue where Oktoberfest never ends, with a much-loved combination of music, food, fun and family. People of all ages flock to the Chicago Brauhaus to experience what's known in German as Gemütlichkeit, a word that connotes spending quality time in a friendly, cozy and relaxing place. You don't have to be of German heritage to enjoy your time there, either. Its wide appeal is one of the reasons why the Chicago Brauhaus has been one of Lincoln Square's most popular destinations for many years. In fact, November 2005 will mark 40 years that brothers and co-owners Guenter and Harry Kempf will have been serving up food and entertainment on Lincoln Avenue.
 The Chicago Brauhaus is and always has been a family-run business. Harry is a familiar sight in his chef's whites, while his brother Guenter is the friendly face behind the bar who will serve you a perfectly poured draft beer. On special occasions, you might see both of them performing with the band—Harry playing bass and Guenter playing the drums. Harry runs the kitchen, which turns out endless plates of traditional German comfort foods. "I learned how to cook at home in Germany," explains Harry. "My mother taught me how to make a good, solid meal." Guenter is also the restaurant's bookkeeper, as his background is in business. "Before I came to America, I was an office guy," says Guenter. "It took a bit to learn all of the drinks and handling the people was something new for me. But you just go for it." Harry's son Freddy also helps run the business and manages the restaurant's website.
In their early years as restaurateurs, Harry and Guenter's dad came over from Germany to help them celebrate their grand opening. He was a pianist who often played with his sons and who encouraged their love of music. "My father was my idol in so many ways," says Guenter. "He was so gifted when it came to music." Carrying on this tradition, the Chicago Brauhaus has always made music and dancing an important part of its experience. It's not uncommon to walk in on a weeknight to find a conga line weaving its way through the dining room or a group of people joined in song. The Brauhaus Trio is headed up by Gody, who can put a smile on just about anyone's face. "He's like the Austrian Elvis," says Harry. "He's an awesome creator of happy times." Gody even performs an ode to the Chicago Brauhaus called Welcome to the Brauhaus in Chicago: "You taste our schnitzels and you surely see our brat and beer that's perfect company—forget your troubles, everything's all right—yes, we hope to meet you here tonight." And yes, his music is available on CD if you visit the Chicago Brauhaus website.
It all began in 1963 at the corner of Wilson and Lincoln. The place had a long tradition as a tavern, as A.C. Kummer's and Hogen's (now the site of the Daily Bar and Grill). Harry had arrived in the U.S. at 19 and went to Western Electric as a tool and die worker. At night, he played and sang with a big band in clubs and dance halls around the city. He did well at his job, but didn't feel like he was pursuing his dreams. So he decided to go into business with a partner and opened Zum Lieben Augustin at 4560 North Lincoln. "At that time, there were a lot of German, Swiss and Austrian immigrants in the area," says Harry. "No one offered live music every day like we did. The first day we opened, there was a line half a mile down the street to get in." His partner handled the food and Harry handled the entertainment. It was in instant success. But soon, Harry was anxious to have his own place.
 Meanwhile, Guenter came to the U.S. in 1965—partly for the adventure and partly because his brother and sister were already there. "A lot of young people were immigrating to the U.S. to better their lives," explains Guenter. "I had heard so much about the opportunities here. I was young and I figured it was my best time to go, otherwise I'd never get to America." He took his first airplane flight ever and landed in Chicago in July. "It was so hot, I thought I'd landed in Africa," he laughs. Chicago was a big change from the small hometown where he grew up near Germany's border with Switzerland. He immediately planned to open a new restaurant with his brother Harry, called Treffpunkt, which translates to "meeting place" in German. After word began to spread, Treffpunkt started drawing crowds of people who came for the food and entertainment to its location at the corner of Lincoln and Giddings, across the street from the building where Cafe Selmarie is now. During the first eight months, Harry and Guenter joined with an accordion player to provide the music. But soon, they realized that it was too difficult to manage everything at once, so Harry hired in a band. That's when Harry put his full concentration into the kitchen and Guenter to the books and bar. Treffpunkt built up a reputation for good food and music and even received a visit from then-president Ronald Reagan. In 1979, when Lincoln Avenue was being rebuilt and traffic re-routed onto Leland, Harry and Guenter decided that they needed to do something to bring in business to the area. So they decided to hold the first Oktoberfest in Lincoln Square. They set up a big tent down Lincoln that ran from Lawrence Avenue all the way to the Huettenbar. They brought in bands, beer and grilled up brats. "We cooked 10,000 brats in two days," says Harry. "That was the start of the German Fest."
Treffpunkt's success inspired Harry and Guenter to think about their next steps. "Across the street from us was Roehrich's Furniture," Harry recalls. "We always said to him, 'Whenever you retire, please give us a shot at buying this place.' So eventually we bought it and fixed it up so that we could use it to do some additional catering. It was like a warehouse, so we started by installing a kitchen where we could work." Then, in 1984, the entire block where the Treffpunkt was located burned down. Harry and Guenter knew that they needed to rebuild the business. Luckily, they could start again using the Roehrich's Furniture building across the street, which already had an operating kitchen. That was the birth of the Chicago Brauhaus. "We decided to get away from a German name," says Harry. "We saw a need for a house for everybody, where you could go with the flow and the surroundings were comfortable. We wanted people to feel content and want to stay a while after eating to have a drink." They felt that Chicago Brauhaus would be the best name for this type of place.
 The Chicago Brauhaus picked up right where Treffpunkt left off. Its fame continued as it has been visited by everyone from old-time weatherman Harry Volkman to Mayor Daley. All these years later, people still come for the hearty, traditional German food cooked from scratch. "We never use processed foods or partially cooked items," says Harry. Both Harry and Guenter are just as committed to the restaurant as they were on the first day they opened Treffpunkt together. "I'm not retiring because I'm so happy watching the people come in from everywhere," says Harry. They get reservations from people all over the world through their website, and often host German classes that come in on school trips. "We get so many German students in from schools all over," says Guenter. "If you call us a week or two ahead of time, we can arrange for a group of about 50 students to come in and enjoy a selection of foods. We'll even try to set up waiters who will speak only German. If you don't concentrate on the children, all the great culture will die out." (Visit www.chicagobrauhaus.com for information about group visits.) Guenter shows no sign of wanting to retire, either, and still sits in as drummer sometimes during Oktoberfest. "For us it is so gratifying when people walk out of here and say they've had such a good time," says Guenter. "You feel so confirmed, that you really contribute something to the neighborhood."
If you're looking for a place to meet with family and friends for a good hearty meal, some music and fun, make sure to stop by the Chicago Brauhaus. And if you haven't been there in a while, come in to help celebrate 40 years of Lincoln Square Gemütlichkeit this fall.
Chicago Brauhaus
4732 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625
773.784.4444
www.chicagobrauhaus.com
Hours:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday - 11am to 2am
Saturday - 11am to 3am
Closed Sunday
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