The Kenwood-Oakland Community Organization announced on Mar. 13 that it will open the Silver Fox Cafe, a new venue aimed at serving older residents with daytime meals and activities, and transforming into a blues and jazz club at night. The project is supported by an $820,000 grant from the Neighborhood Capital Fund, which is distributing $7.8 million to nine organizations for real estate projects in underinvested communities.
The initiative addresses the need for community spaces tailored to older adults while also reviving cultural traditions in the area. Shannon Bennett, executive director of the Kenwood-Oakland Community Organization, said the cafe fulfills a long-standing vision inspired by a similar Chatham establishment that closed during the pandemic.
Bennett said monthly pop-up events have already drawn between 150-200 older people who enjoy meals and classes such as yoga or line dancing. The Silver Fox Cafe will expand on these offerings by providing breakfast and lunch to the public along with exercise and technology classes for seniors. In the evenings, it will become a live music venue reminiscent of historic 43rd Street clubs like the Checkerboard Lounge. “It could be also a destination point for tourists, and it would bring back the memories of a lot of the seniors from when they grew up in Bronzeville,” Bennett said.
While there are no current plans to serve alcohol at the club, other operational details are still being finalized. Partners including The Mather senior services provider, Demera Ethiopian restaurant, and Mahari Restaurant will help train staff in food safety certifications. Menu suggestions from surveyed participants include red beans and rice as well as oxtails.
Ujamaa Construction, a Black-led contractor, has been selected for construction work on the project. If progress continues as planned, organizers hope to open by early next year. The grant will also fund additional office space along with library, community, and event areas at their headquarters on South Cottage Grove Avenue.
The Neighborhood Capital Fund is managed by Chicago Community Trust and builds upon its We Rise Together initiative supporting underserved neighborhoods since 2025. Other recipients include IMAN Health Center in Chicago Lawn receiving $1.5 million for expanded care services and Woodlawn’s Urban Market Exchange awarded $700,000 for artist workspace development.
Christen Wiggens, senior director of community development at Chicago Community Trust, said such funding is vital amid federal cuts: “They’re essential to building that narrative of hope, that this taking things away isn’t how it’s always going to be.” Wiggens added that recent surveys show growing optimism among residents about their neighborhoods: “But the last two summers, we really, really started to see these narratives of people coming out being like, ‘Hey, people think my neighborhood isn’t great, but actually it’s fantastic.'”
