Neither the Intermezzo Cafe or Interlude Lounge were original parts of the Center but they were added later to further the enjoyment of the experiences of Krannert Patrons. They have become popular meeting places both for shows and at regular times throughout the week.
Intermezzo Cafe
Krannert Center's Intermezzo cafe opened in
1981, 12 years after the Center was built, to serve the needs of patrons attending
performances. The idea for a cafe in Krannert Center's lobby came from former
Associate Director Ron Beebe, who was a four-star chef in Chicago before completing
his MFA in theatre at the University of Illinois and joining the staff of
Krannert Center. Intermezzo was best known for its selection of Viennese pastries--many
of which were Ron's own recipes--served before, during, and after every performance.
Hours quickly expanded to include breakfast pastries and light lunches. Today,
Intermezzo serves fresh-baked breakfast goods, light and healthy lunches and
dinners, vegetarian and nonvegetarian fare, decadent dessert treats, and Krannert
Blend coffees. Intermezzo is open 7am to 3:30pm on nonperformance weekdays,
7am continuously through weekday performances, and on weekends from 90 minutes
before until after performances. Proceeds from purchases at Intermezzo are
invested right back into the performances you see on Krannert Center stages.
The Intermezzo Cafe
Interlude Lounge
A full-service cocktail lounge area in Krannert
Center's lobby, Interlude, was opened in the late 1980s. Interlude is open
before, during, and after most Krannert Center performances, and has become
a popular location to relax, socialize, and converse about performances. It
is also the location for Krannert Center's free Afterglow performance series.
Proceeds from purchases at Interlude are invested right back into the performances
you see on Krannert Center stages.
The Interlude Lounge