The owners of Old Crow Smokehouse have reopened their prominent River North restaurant space swapping barbecue for pizza. Tree House, a colorful bar and restaurant with a nature theme and pizzas out of a wood-burning brick oven, is operated by sisters Samantha and Korina Sanchez, daughters of prolific hospitality owner Sam Sanchez (Old Crow, Moe’s Cantina), the board chair of the Illinois Restaurant Association.

Tree House aims to ride the line between family-friendly restaurant and trendy nightclub — a balancing act that’s in keeping with the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. The team hopes to cultivate a laid-back atmosphere that feels like a party in the woods, replacing rows of whiskey barrels and distressed wood with a disco ball, two 140-inch screens, and a plethora of green plants lining the walls and hanging from the ceiling.