In Downers Grove, Illinois, the triumphs of the University of Illinois Fighting Illini in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament have electrified the Chicago area, bringing particular joy to local sports bars owned by Illinois alumni. One such venue, Orange and Brew, has become a focal point for fans reveling in the team’s success.
Saturday night was a prime example, as Illini enthusiasts gathered to cheer their team into the coveted Final Four.
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“Saturday was absolute chaos,” remarked Eric Schmidt, the owner of Orange and Brew. “We were packed to the brim two hours before the game even started.”
The event was organized at Orange and Brew in Downers Grove, a bar owned by Eric and Carrie Schmidt, both graduates of Illinois and now a married couple. The Schmidts were present the last time the Illini reached the Final Four back in 2005.
Since opening their doors eight years ago, the bar has served as a haven for the over 50,000 Illini alumni residing in the Chicago area.
“The University of Illinois holds a special place in our hearts,” shared Schmidt. “We were committed to establishing a space that felt like home for other Illinois graduates.”
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The Chicago Illini Club Is hosting eight different watch parties in the Chicago area for the Final Four on Saturday, including half a dozen city locations as well as the suburbs.
Stefanie Boucher with the Chicago Illini Club graduated in 2007, and now has a daughter in the Marching Illini. She is hosting a watch party at Rep’s Place in Rolling Meadows.
“It has brought in a lot of new business people who didn’t know of Rep’s before the watch parties,” Boucher said.
She says Rep’s was also packed with fans last weekend, and the Final Four party should be even bigger. They expect the same at Orange and Brew.
“Just kind of a slice of Champaign if you will,” Schmidt said. “Someplace Illinois grads and fans can be comfortable.”
At Orange and Brew, they specialize in selling locally crafted beer, but the number one selling beer these days is the I-L-L IPA.
READ MORE | March Madness: Illinois to face UConn in first Final Four in 21 years after teams beat Iowa, Duke
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