WHO WE ARE
Leisure Activities is a creative hospitality studio, specializing in concept creation, beverage development, project management & bar design.
WADE HALL MCELROY
Wade grew up in Phoenix and attended Arizona State University. Leaving the desert for NYC, Wade honed his craft behind the bar and became enamored with all of the creative elements that make up a hospitable environment and it’s cultural identity. Wade moved to Chicago with hopes of opening bars where people felt truly at home. An avid traveler, photographer and constant student of all things design, Wade oversees creative projects for LA.
JEFF DONAHUE
After graduating from Northern Illinois University, Jeff found his calling in hospitality through eating, drinking and working his way through the myriad layers of Chicago’s bar and restaurant scene. That passion for singular and genuine hospitality has driven his pursuit of inspiration through travel and exploration locally and abroad.
WHAT WE DO
Through strategic partnerships in design, real estate, law, marketing/PR and finance, Leisure Activities offers full service hospitality and beverage consulting, providing long-term creative solutions and operational stability to clients.
CREATIVE
Concept Development
Branding
Social Media
Content Creation
Marketing / PR
OPERATIONS
Operations Management
Recruiting / Training
Bar Programming
Bar Design
Vendor Relations
WHAT WE'VE Made
Leisure Activities has had the privilege to develop bar concepts and beverage programs, execute pop-up events, train and hire staffs, manage social media and most importantly, tend bar. With over 25 years of combined experience, LA consults in all aspects of creative hospitality while remaining deeply rooted in stable operations, continuing to evolve and stay informed of cultural trends.
BIG KIDS
BIG KIDS is a lively neighborhood sandwich shop steeped in 90’s nostalgia, located in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood. This project is a partnership with chefs Ryan Pfeiffer & Mason Hereford of Turkey & The Wolf.
LUDLOW LIQUORS
Ludlow Liquors is a neighborhood tavern with a focus on stirred cocktails that are available by the ounce. Offering cocktails by the ounce allows guests to taste through the menu in a variety of ways, each with its own unique presentation ranging from simple one ounce undiluted pours to full sized cocktails with specialty ice and garnish. The bar also features killer whiskey sours, draft punches, cheap beers, lively DJs and a cozy backyard garden.
SPORTSMAN'S CLUB
Leisure Activities partnered with mentors Matt Eisler and Kevin Heisner of Heisler Hospitality to breathe new life into a run-down, 60-year-old, Ukrainian Village tavern called Sportsman’s Club. The focus would be on daily creativity, great music, top notch hospitality, and an undeniable neighborhood vibe. Sportsman’s would become the new industry darling and destination for not just Chicagoans, but bar professionals from around the world.
ESTEREO
in 2016 LA partnered again with Heisler Hospitality to open Logan Square’s love letter to the Caribbean and Latin America, the acclaimed coffee and cocktail focused Estereo.