The Billy Goat Tavern is a chain of taverns located in Chicago, Illinois. Its restaurants are based on the original Billy Goat Tavern founded in 1934 by Billy Sianis, a Greek immigrant. It achieved fame primarily through newspaper columns by Mike Royko, a supposed curse on the Chicago Cubs, and the Olympia Cafe sketch on Saturday Night Live.It now has several locations in the Chicago area, including Navy Pier, the Merchandise Mart, O'Hare Airport, and the West Loop on Madison Street, just blocks from the United Center, and expanded to Washington, D.C. in 2005. The D.C. location is the first outside the Chicago area and is intended to appeal primarily to Chicago transplants, as well as students from the Georgetown University Law Center located across the street.HistoryThe first location, at 1855 W. Madison St., was opened in 1934 when William "Billy Goat" Sianis bought the Lincoln Tavern, near Chicago Stadium, for $205 with a bounced check (he made good on it with the proceeds from the first weekend they were open). When the 1944 Republican National Convention came to town, he posted a sign saying "No Republicans allowed," causing the place to be packed with Republicans demanding to be served. Of course, a great deal of publicity followed, which Sianis characteristically took advantage of.