SOUTH LOOP — Two best friends are bringing their take on Southern cuisine to the South Loop this summer.

Executive chef Xavier Vance and entrepreneur Troy Vivrett will be opening Southern Chicago, 2000 S. Wabash Ave., in a storefront previously occupied by Royale Puppies Pet Spa. The partners are aiming for a Labor Day grand opening.

Vance and Vivrett — both Chicago natives and South Loop residents — came up with the concept when they connected on Instagram during the pandemic. Vance was running his own catering company while Vivrett was hard at work building his real estate investment firm, The Vivrett Group.

“We talked about the idea of the doing the restaurant, and at first it was a different concept that we decided to table for future projects,” Vance said.

The duo soon realized they could combine their skills and experience to open their own restaurant, with Vivrett using his real estate savvy to find the perfect location in the South Loop.

“There’s a growing niche in that area. We’re right next to the largest convention center in America and the only breakfast spot in the immediate area is McDonald’s. It was a no-brainer,” Vivrett said.

Patrons can expect “elevated, yet accessible” Southern fare with a menu paying homage to Vivrett’s and Vance’s ancestral Mississippi and Tennessee roots. Vance will be taking the lead in the kitchen while Vivrett will be using his entrepreneurial expertise to handle the administrative side.

Vance is confident Southern Chicago’s menu will satisfy the most skeptical of palates. Staples like shrimp and grits, Oysters Rockefeller and red velvet pancakes round out the brunch offerings while the dinner menu focuses on even heartier entrées — think New York strip steaks, burgers and seafood towers — ranging from $25 to $170.

For Vance, living out his childhood dream of owning a restaurant while sharing some of his favorite dishes keeps the connection between him and the family matriarchs alive.

Vance, who studied at the Art Institutes Culinary Art School, learned how to make biscuits from scratch from his great-grandmother during family trips to Memphis. His mom lovingly prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, he said.

“The menu is really a coming together of the two regions but also Chicago-friendly,” Vance said.

The duo hired a mixologist who has created the perfect beverage program to complement their menu, Vance said. Each entrée will have a craft cocktail accompaniment to heighten the experience, along with an “extensive” wine list featuring grapes from California to Italy — including offerings from Black-owned vineyards, Vance said.

Not to fret, teetotalers; Nonalcoholic libations will be on the menu, as well. Vivrett and Vance are in talks with a Black winemaker who specializes in alcohol-free wines to join their array of mocktails.

The two friends initially considered opening a steakhouse that would offer Southern-inspired side dishes. Vance told Block Club they haven’t completely abandoned that plan, as the duo wait to see how their first venture fares.

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Vivrett and Vance said they’ve invested well over $150,000 of their own money into Southern Chicago; they’re also set to receive funds from the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund. The new spot has no relation to The Southern, a Wicker Park restaurant that closed in 2017.

While finding additional resources has been “difficult,” due to the size and scope of the project, the friends have remained steadfast in their quest to bring fine dining to the South Loop.

Turning a dog spa into a high-end restaurant was a harder task than the two expected, they said. The space had remained empty since Royale Puppies closed in 2020.

“The HVAC system was all wired for having dogs in the space and it was extremely large, so we had to have that taken away. The lighting was different, the flooring, all that. Even getting the dog smell out of the space was a lot,” Vivrett said. “It was like a gut rehab.”

The 6,700-square-foot restaurant will have a patio for outdoor dining and a separate event room big enough to hold 200 people. Southern Chicago’s design will be an eclectic mix of the duo’s international travels, Vance said.

“Every detail of this restaurant has been planned by us. We’ve gone to every fabric store, every tile store. We’re excited to see our vision come to life, and the response we’ve received since announcing it on social media has been great. People are excited,” Vance said.

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