Meet Scott Stegman of Winter’s Jazz Club in Streeterville

Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Stegman.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
It’s been a longtime dream of mine to open a Jazz club and a few years ago I decided to put together a business plan to see if I could make it a reality. I acquired my love of jazz because I grew up in a household where it was played a lot — my mom often listened to great jazz records at the end of the day after putting us kids to bed. And so, as a nod to her, the club carries her maiden name, Winter. We opened on November 15, 2016 so we’re approaching our 7 months mark. We’re fortunate to have a beautiful location in the heart of downtown overlooking the Ogden Slip just west of Navy Pier. We feature mostly straight-ahead, classic Jazz and present the best of Chicago’s musicians along with some great out-of-town acts occasionally. We’re open 6 nights a week and we pride ourselves on being a listening room.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
We’ve been very well received by the public and are grateful to have received lots of support from local organizations, neighbors, media, etc. And, we’re very proud of our nearly perfect reviews across Yelp, Google, Facebook, Trip Advisor, etc.

Our biggest challenge is getting the word out that we’re open and ready for business! Although we love our picturesque location overlooking the Ogden Slip, it doesn’t afford us the advantage of any walk-by or drive-by traffic. So, we’re a hidden gem really. The good news is that once people find us, they often turn into repeat customers.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Winter’s Jazz Club – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We’re most proud of being a true and intimate listening room with excellent acoustics. The club was specifically designed to place all of the attention where it rightfully belongs… on the musicians who make the music. Our room seats 100 and the stage is ringed on three sides which allow everyone to be close to the performers. We also have a semi-separate bar/lounge area that seats 25.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We look forward to building our brand and reaching more customers by presenting great straight-ahead, classic live Jazz in a listen room environment.

Pricing:

• Cover charge varies from $7.50 – $20

Contact Info:

• Address: 465 N. McClurg Court (on the promenade)
• Website: www.wintersjazzclub.com
• Email: info@wintersjazzclub.com
• Facebook: @WintersJazzClub
• Twitter: @WintersJazzClub
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/winters-jazz-club-chicago
• Other: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g35805-d11958704-Reviews-Winter_s_Jazz_Club-Chicago_Illinois.html

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