BUCKTOWN — An African fusion restaurant and bar is opening on Armitage Avenue in Bucktown after a lengthy delay.
The Origin Restaurant and Lounge has taken over the former El Rinconcito Sudamerica at 2010 W. Armitage Ave. El Rinconcito moved to Belmont Cragin in early 2025.
Construction has been underway at The Origin since last spring, and the owners had hoped to open about a year ago. Delays with construction and city permitting kept pushing back the opening date, restaurant partner Coco Shelton said this week.
After putting the finishing touches on the restaurant and lounge and getting a liquor license, The Origin is finally ready to open its doors. The restaurant is holding a grand opening Friday after being in a soft opening since April 30.
“We had some challenges with contractors. We finally got that resolved and moved forward with getting everything done that we needed to do, just refacing some of the things, painting and just the aesthetics of the place,” Shelton said. “So that took a little bit longer than we anticipated. … But we finally got through everything, and now we’re just ready to go.”
The Origin will offer a wide range of African dishes between its permanent menu and a soon-to-come series of rotating specials from chefs who will do short-term residencies at the restaurant.
The opening menu is still being nailed down, but many dishes will carry over from its soft opening menu, like goat pepper soup and jollof rice.
“We’ll have a red snapper, which is really popular, as well as a traditional egusi soup,” a West African staple made with melon seeds, Shelton said.
The Origin will also have an extensive cocktail menu, with drinks like a lychee martini and cucumber lemon drop and riffs on classic cocktails like an Old Fashioned, mojito and margarita. Beer and wine will also be available.
The chef residency program is still in the works, Shelton said. To start, The Origin plans to work with up-and-coming chefs who are coming out of culinary school or those looking to get a foothold at a brick-and-mortar restaurant.
Each chef will created four or five specials to complement the permanent food menu. The Origin’s management has a long-term goal of bringing in well-known and established cooks to the restaurant to highlight cuisine spanning Africa, the Caribbean, the United States and elsewhere.
We want “to work with some of those people as well, until we can really get a highlighted chef that really wants to come in here and cook with us,” she said. “But ideally, we’re really thinking our calendar is going to be full. Everybody’s going to want to come cook at Origin, and I’m just waiting for the requests to come in.”
Chefs may stay for a few months at a time or just a week or two while they’re passing through Chicago, Shelton said.
The Origin will stay open late on weekends and plans to offer a weekend brunch. Opening hours will be 4 p.m.-midnight Tuesday-Thursday, noon-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-midnight Sundays.
While Bucktown is no stranger to a range of diverse restaurants, Shelton said the Origin is a chance for neighbors to try “something different” in the area.
“We’re trying to create a nice experience, not so luxury that you can’t come in here every day after work, but still a nice place to go out and have a dinner date,” she said.
Support Freedom of the Press
Independent journalism like this only exists because of readers like you. This World Press Freedom Day, help Block Club raise $20,000 to fuel high-impact investigations that hold Chicago’s institutions and leaders accountable. Make your tax-deductible donation here.
Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast: