Is The Dugout Still Open? Bar Rescue Update (Chicago, IL)

The Dugout, a bar located steps from Wrigley Field in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood, was featured in the March 2017 episode "Struck Out at the Dugout." Owner Ed Cressy had originally been the property's landlord before taking over bar operations in 2011 after the previous owners fell behind on payments. The business followed the Cubs' baseball schedule closely, doing well during the season but losing between $30,000 and $40,000 during the off-season, based on figures presented in the episode. The episode also depicted friction between Cressy and bartender Emily over how the bar was managed, along with kitchen sanitation problems including a heavily used fryer and inconsistent food-safety practices.

Jon Taffer brought in mixologist Phil Wills and chef Ryan Scott to retrain the staff on cocktail recipes and food preparation. The relationship between the production and Cressy grew contentious partway through the process -- Cressy was not invited to the relaunch event, and after a confrontation there, several staff members quit on the spot. As part of the overhaul, Taffer renamed the bar from The Dugout to The Press Box, themed around Jack Daniel's-branded decor and simplified drink recipes. In a Chicago Tribune interview after the episode aired, Cressy spoke critically about his experience with the production, while at least one former bartender posted publicly that she appreciated the training and felt it validated her frustrations with how the bar had been run.

Cressy kept the Press Box branding for a time, then moved that concept to an upstairs space while reverting the original ground-floor bar back to its pre-rescue name, The Dugout, according to Reality TV Updates' fan-site coverage, last updated in March 2024. The same coverage notes his Yelp listing for The Press Box was later marked closed, while a separate listing for The Dugout has continued to receive reviews. As of an August 2026 Yelp update, The Dugout's business page remains active with reviews and posted hours at 950 West Addison Street, indicating the bar has continued operating under its original name for close to a decade since the Bar Rescue visit, even though the concept Taffer introduced during the relaunch did not stick under its new branding long-term.