Conjuring scenes out of the Gangs of New York, there’s a turf battle happening in the Irish Channel between two businesses battling over the iconic Tracey’s trademark. Fans of the Martin Scorsese film might be disappointed to learn that the battle involves permit and legal filings, not cudgels, shillelaghs, and a mustache-twirling tour de force from Daniel Day-Lewis.
A new bar called Tracey’s is seemingly coming to 2604 Magazine St., which was Tracey’s Original Irish Channel Bar for 13 years until it closed in December ahead of a relocation. The proprietor of the latter Tracey’s, Jeff Carreras, is looking to take the Tracey’s name with him when he reopens a stone’s throw away at 3226 Magazine St. However, the owner of the building at 2604 Magazine St., Kimberlee Banning, is reportedly renovating the bar space and staking her claim to the Tracey’s trademark. Carreras and Banning were co-founders of Tracey’s Original Irish Channel Bar in 2007, and in a recent legal filing, she claimed that she sold her interest to Carreras with a sell-back clause that would be triggered if Carreras broke the lease, which she claims he did in December. The case has yet to be resolved.
As for Carreras’ new bar, it will have a bigger bar area and kitchen compared to the former location. It will also feature nearly four dozen TVs and a game room with pinball machines upstairs. Renovations are ongoing and reports suggest it will open this spring.
