About

Born Ida, but known throughout her life as Winifred "Winnie", her story began in England in 1937. A clerical mix-up on early paperwork left her without certainty about her true name, a small confusion that would follow her for years and shape the way she saw herself.

At just six years old, after the passing of her father, Ida and her siblings were sent to an orphanage — a place where childhood was shortened, and resilience was quietly, necessarily built. Even in those early years, she carried a softness paired with an unmistakable strength, traits that would define the rest of her life.

As she grew, she cultivated a talent for working with her hands and became a seamstress, stitching garments with the same care she brought to the people around her. But Ida — or Winnie, as the world had come to call her — was never meant for a single path. Determined to do more, she enlisted in the British Royal Army, where discipline, purpose, and structure surrounded her for the first time. It was during this process that she was finally required to obtain full documentation, and through the proper channels, she uncovered her true and complete name: Ida Winifred Philips.

The discovery didn't erase the nickname she had grown to resent, but it connected the pieces of her identity in a way she had never experienced. "Winnie" lingered, first as an annoyance, then as a fact of life, and eventually — with time and love — as something far more meaningful.

After her service, Ida trained and worked as a nurse, devoting herself to caring for others with the same steadfast heart that had carried her from childhood through wartime. In the hospital corridors, she met a young doctor whose kindness matched her own, and who would become her husband. Together they built a life grounded in compassion, caretaking, and community.

Though she once resisted the name Winnie, today it's the one we carry forward with pride. It represents not just what she was called, but who she became: resilient, warm, steady, and quietly remarkable.

Winnie, who is still alive today at 96 years old, is the grandmother to owner Chris Boutros.

Chris Boutros graduated from Indiana University in 2017 with a clear vision for his future: he wanted to one day open a bar of his own. Every move he made in his career was intentionally shaped around that goal. He began in the food and beverage distribution world, where he learned how products move, how partnerships are built, and how the foundation of great hospitality starts long before a drink reaches the bar.

Seeking a deeper connection to the guest experience, Chris transitioned into hospitality management. He spent years running bars, restaurants, and nightclubs—gaining firsthand insight into what makes an environment welcoming, what creates memorable service, and how to build strong, dynamic teams.

In 2025, Chris opened his first bar in Old Town Chicago, bringing together the lessons of his journey and the spirit of his alma mater. The venue features a health-forward food menu that reimagines classic bar favorites with lighter, fresher, and more wholesome preparations. Guests can enjoy the comfort of traditional dishes without sacrificing nutrition—an intentional approach Chris believes modern hospitality should embrace. Whether visitors stop by for the game, the drinks, the food, or simply the atmosphere, they'll find Chris's dedication and Hoosier pride woven into the experience.

This opening marks the realization of a dream years in the making—and the beginning of many more chapters in Chris's hospitality story.