There were a pair of beloved bars in downtown Champaign known to all as The Blind Pigs, created by Christopher Knight. They were Jim’s favorite bars in town, and he could be found playing trivia at the Neil Street location whenever free on a Sunday.
One such Sunday, the host, Monty, mentioned that someone Jim worked with was living upstairs in one of the apartments. “Kristen, you say? I work with a lot of Kristens…”
Eventually, Jim figured out which Kristen it was, and thought, “She seems nice; might as well ask her out for Trivia!”
She said “yes,” and showed up that Sunday…with her boyfriend…a fact that Jim was completely unaware of.
Regardless, the night was pretty fun, and they may have even won a round or two. Jim figured that was that, and life moved on.
A few months later, a coworker mentioned Kristen was single again. Jim figured, “why not?” and asked her out again, this time for dinner.
He must have done something right, because they were married on New Years Eve of 2017.
Years go by. In 2023, Kristen, a former interior designer and “projectologist” at heart, is scanning online listings for commercial real estate. Lo and behold, both Blind Pigs were up for sale! Not knowing what would happen to them otherwise and seeking to keep the same warm atmosphere that they’re known for (and you know, kind of being one of the main reasons they ever started dating in the first place), Kristen and Jim purchased them both and took over in March of 2024. While they couldn’t keep the moniker of The Blind Pig (that name is owned by the brewery, which they did not purchase…two bars seemed like enough), they tried to keep everything else as close to the originals as possible, with a few updates.
Both being dog lovers, and wanting to evoke the coziness of an English Pub, the Walnut location became “Hound’s Rest” and Neil Street became “Hound’s Court” (because of the courtyard).
A side bar off Hound’s Court had previously been nicknamed “The Dandy Pig” due to its location in the former Dandelion resale location, and so formally became “Dandy Hound.” It’s typically open on weekends during the summer months and available for rent for private events.
A fourth member of the Hounds joined in the summer with the purchase of a mobile beer trailer, officially named “The Stray Hound.” It could be seen downtown during The Beat festival, Lakeside, Brews, Beats, and Eats, Flannel Fest, and as well as at the News Gazette tent for every Illini Football home game. It’s also available for rent!
And there you have it, a not-so-shaggy dog story with an ending yet to be written. Join the narrative and come see us downtown!
