The bar has been homebase for all four One Chicago shows.

It’s cliched to refer to a landmark or location as a character in a show, but Molly’s Pub comes close. The bar has appeared in all four One Chicago shows, and been the setting of some of the most loved and revisited moments in Chicago Fire history.

Which is why the announcement made by Herrmann (David Eigenberg) during the episode “Born of Fire” was so noteworthy. The character informed his 51 co-workers that he intends to expand Molly’s into a franchise, and likens it to the real life restaurant chain Ditka’s.

There are a lot of dangling plot threads to address post-“Born of Fire,” but the title of the follow up episode, leads us to believe that the Molly’s Pub expansion will be getting more screen time. The episode is titled “Bar Time.” Granted, Chicago Fire likes to sometimes sneak double meanings into titles, but “Bar Time” seems to be a pretty overt nod to Herrmann’s retirement plan.