The owners of the popular lesbian bar Dorothy opened a new queer bar in Lakeview this week, with a more casual, “classic neighborhood dive bar” feel.
Fathom, 1622 W. Belmont Ave., opened April 9 and was quickly at capacity, with a line of people waiting that stretched down the block. The new nautical-themed bar is designed to be approachable and “first-date-able,” a place where people can drop by on their way home from work.
“Dorothy can be more like a destination bar, somewhere you get dressed up to see an event and have a high-level cocktail,” said co-owner Whitney Lamora, who runs Fathom and Dorothy alongside her wife Zoe Schor. “Fathom is more of a beer-and-a-shot kind of vibe, somewhere where you’d go meet your friends after work. We want it to be a little more casual and centralized.”
The outside of Fathom. Photo By Whitney LaMora
Though Fathom likely won’t be home to quite as many events as Dorothy, patrons can expect a variety of weekly gatherings, like trivia and karaoke. The bar also has a kitchen, and will soon have some regular food offerings, as well as a patio area.
LaMora and Schor reopened Dorothy together in 2022 after a brief period of closure due to pandemic lockdowns. Since then, the bar has grown a cult-following as one of the few lesbian bars in the city, and is known for its craft cocktails and community events. Schor runs operations, while LaMora leads the creative side of their businesses.
“It’s definitely a different time for our community than when we opened Dorothy,” Schor reflected. “Although it’s a more terrifying and rocky time to be a human being, at the same time, we have a better sense of how needed this space is. We have an abundance mindset that the more queer spaces there are, the more we can help each other out and see our community grow and thrive.”
Located in Lake View, Fathom is within walking distance of the numerous LGBTQ+ bars along the Northalsted strip and easily accessible with public transit.
Dorothy has always been lesbian-centered, and LaMora and Schor said they get a lot of questions from people asking if they’re welcome in the bar even if they don’t identify that way. Their answer has always been yes, but they hope that labelling Fathom as a queer community space will eliminate some of the confusion.
They hope to create a “beautiful community space” that LGBTQ+ people and Lakeview neighbors can all share and enjoy.
“You’re welcome here as long as you’re an ally, but that doesn’t just mean that you think being gay is okay,” Schor explained. “It’s about actively centering the experience of queer people in the space, not presuming people’s genders and just generally being respectful. Hopefully we’ll become a cool bar in Lakeview where everyone wants to come, but we want everyone to focus on respecting the things our community cares about.”
Fathom will be open from 5 p.m. until midnight Sunday through Thursday, and from 5 p.m. – 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. These hours will expand over time and will eventually include daytime hours as well.
