Owners of the queer and women-owned Artis Restaurant and Lounge in Chicago’s River North neighborhood said the decision to reopen or shut down for good following a mass shooting outside its doors earlier this month had nothing to do with public pressure or political hostility.⁠ ⁠ “I’m a mom and I’m a wife, and this is the second time that I have dodged gunfire this year,” said Brandi Artis, chef and co-owner of Artis. While Brandi and her wife, Brittany Artis, were on vacation in Puerto Rico earlier this year, she said they had to run and take cover from shots fired while out at a dinner. “I got to go home to my kids twice this year. I couldn’t have been that lucky.”⁠ ⁠ The Creole restaurant was temporarily closed after the July 2 shooting that Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling described as a moment of sheer horror. According to police reports, a dark vehicle drove past Artis at 311 W. Chicago Ave. at about 11 p.m. during an album release party for local drill rapper Mello Buckzz. Three people inside the car fired shots into a crowd on the sidewalk, police said. The car fled the scene, but the attackers shot 18 people in just a few seconds, killing four.⁠ ⁠ Tap on our bio link to read more.⁠ ⁠ -----⁠ ⁠ Photo 1: Pedestrians pass Artis Restaurant and Lounge, in the morning hours, July 3, 2025, after a drive-by mass shooting that killed four people and wounded 14 in Chicago. ⁠ ⁠ Photo 2: A notice indicates that Artis Restaurant and Lounge, 311 W. Chicago Avenue in Chicago, has been ordered closed by the police superintendent, July 3, 2025, after a mass shooting. ⁠ ⁠ ? Zareen Syed / Chicago Tribune⁠ ?️ Audrey Richardson and Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune

Owners of the queer and women-owned Artis Restaurant and Lounge in Chicago’s River North neighborhood said the decision to reopen or shut down for good following a mass shooting outside its doors earlier this month had nothing to do with public pressure or political hostility.⁠
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“I’m a mom and I’m a wife, and this is the second time that I have dodged gunfire this year,” said Brandi Artis, chef and co-owner of Artis. While Brandi and her wife, Brittany Artis, were on vacation in Puerto Rico earlier this year, she said they had to run and take cover from shots fired while out at a dinner. “I got to go home to my kids twice this year. I couldn’t have been that lucky.”⁠
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The Creole restaurant was temporarily closed after the July 2 shooting that Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling described as a moment of sheer horror. According to police reports, a dark vehicle drove past Artis at 311 W. Chicago Ave. at about 11 p.m. during an album release party for local drill rapper Mello Buckzz. Three people inside the car fired shots into a crowd on the sidewalk, police said. The car fled the scene, but the attackers shot 18 people in just a few seconds, killing four.⁠
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Tap on our bio link to read more.⁠
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Photo 1: Pedestrians pass Artis Restaurant and Lounge, in the morning hours, July 3, 2025, after a drive-by mass shooting that killed four people and wounded 14 in Chicago. ⁠
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Photo 2: A notice indicates that Artis Restaurant and Lounge, 311 W. Chicago Avenue in Chicago, has been ordered closed by the police superintendent, July 3, 2025, after a mass shooting. ⁠
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? Zareen Syed / Chicago Tribune⁠
?️ Audrey Richardson and Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune