This Chicago Couple’s Black-Owned Wine And Charcuterie Bar Aims To Celebrate Community

For this Chicago couple, dreams do come true.

Jacare Thomas and Charlette Stanton prepare to open their South Side wine and charcuterie bar after 18 years of realizing their dream. As the dream unfolds, they hope their success will build upon the culture of Black businesses in the community and connect with others.

The husband and wife team expect an August debut for their brainchild, Park Manor 75, which will boast two spaces at 600 E. 75th St, The Park and The Manor.

The Park will be the primary space for the bar, featuring wine, craft cocktails, small bites, and Stanton’s popular charcuterie boards, which she started as a hobby during the pandemic. Guests can indulge in a crafted experience by Black creatives and artists. In a reimagined garage space, The Manor welcomes deep and engaging conversations as it pays tribute to the speakeasy history of Chicago, according to the bar’s website.

“It’s been an undertaking, and every detail of our place feels artsy,” Stanton told Block Club Chicago. “You’ll feel like you’re not even in Chicago, that you’re somewhere completely different. We’ve taken a lot of time to craft this ambiance. This isn’t about serving drinks; it’s about creating an experience.”

Stanton and Thomas are champions for Black creatives. According to the outlet, the pair established Noir Urban Arts Collective in 2003, a group that showcased up-and-coming Black artists in the city. Later they opened the CeeBlaq Social Club, an organization that encourages “bringing people together,” Stanton said.

According to Thomas, the vision for Park Manor 75 is to spotlight Black brewers, distillers, and creatives around Chicago while inviting other Black businesses to see the importance of pouring into the South Side community.

“We want to build a legacy for our children and build something beautiful for the community,” Thomas told Block Club Chicago. “We want to be a benefit to the community and have others see us and want to buy property next door. We’re excited about the possibility of what it might look like if we do this right.”

The name of the bar signifies Stanton and Thomas’ love for 75th Street when they were first dating, including the long-standing mom-and-pop shops. But they wanted to do something different.

“We haven’t seen anything like a wine and charcuterie bar on 75th Street or the South Side,” Stanton said. “We decided that if we’re going to be opening up something in our community, we wanted it to be different.”

“I hope our business shines as a beacon of what can happen in our neighborhoods,” Thomas said. “The opportunity and the possibility of what we can contribute to the South Side are important, and we want to be a part of that narrative. Hopefully, other people will see it and say, ‘I want to cast down my bucket and build up this corridor, too.’”