It was a great turnout for What Now Media Group’s latest Chicago Accelerate event on May 19. Restaurateurs, franchise owners and business partners met at Hopsmith Tavern, 15 W Division Street, for the event from 3-5 p.m. Those in attendance met potential new business contacts and heard more about the opportunities What Now Media Group has to offer.
Hopsmith Tavern opened in 2014, and has become a popular restaurant to grab a drink or catch the game. Their kitchen serves hot sandwiches, and appetizers like chips and queso, bavarian pretzels and fried chicken sliders. At the event, guests enjoyed their drinks served like beers on tap, wine and cocktails.
Of the over 20 restaurant attendees were Kilwins Ice Cream franchisees Jackie and Janel Jackson. The company began in Petoskey, Michigan in 1947 and has since been spreading around areas of the Midwest. Now operating as a franchise, a location recently debuted in Burr Ridge, and an additional shop is planned for The Loop, which Jackie and Janel are opening.
What Now partners Mark Davis, Mark Rubenstein and Richard Autery from A Head For Profits attended the event and had high praise for it. The company specializes in draft beer services like tap installation and draught equipment line cleaning, and they recognized the power of networking in this kind of setting.
“Our team has clearly not been taking full advantage of this opportunity. Now that we’ve seen first hand what these events are all about, we’ll make sure we’re sending the right team members. There’s no reason leadership should not be at each of these events—the caliber of people in this room and the opportunity is something we need to pay close attention to,” they said in a statement.
Michael Carmignani, SPA for preferred partner Auris Payroll was also in attendance. Auris is one of the main partners who signed on for What Now’s recent retail coverage launch, and representatives have continued to show their support at previous events.
Other notable restaurant attendees include Allie and Ari Lowenstein from Sushi Box, who recently opened a new location on the second floor of the Ogilvie Transportation Center, 500 W Madison Avenue. Their first concept opened in Lincoln Park in mid-2025.
Con Azucar Cafe is an anticipated California-based chain coming to 801 S Financial Place in Printer’s Row this summer. Andrew DeBrie and Zach Horton traveled to Chicago to introduce their concept and network with partners.
What Now Media Group shares restaurant opening news in 33 cities across North America, breaking news, and provides timely insight into yet-to-open brick-and-mortar businesses. The platform shares news of thousands of openings across all 33 cities annually.
The industry-leading experts in What Now Media Group’s network of Preferred Partners help new businesses open and existing businesses grow.
Stay tuned for future Accelerate events from What Now Media Group in 2026. For more details, see the Accelerate page here.
Click here for a complete list of our partners. To learn more about becoming a preferred partner, click here.
