Another chilly winter in Chicago is proving too harsh for several local eateries, which are either temporarily shutting down or closing their doors for good. As reported by Eater Chicago, beloved establishments like the Broken English Taco Pub in Lincoln Park and Passion House Coffee Roasters in Logan Square are among the latest victims of the city's unforgiving restaurant landscape.
Passion House's owner Joshua Millman says the Logan Square closure will allow focus on their Goose Island cafe and a soon-to-be-unveiled cafe in Fulton Market. Meanwhile, honey-glazed memories are all that's left of the Honey Berry Cafe in Rogers Park, which shut down after only four months in business, as Bluebird in Portage Park tempers the cold with plans to rebuild after a fiery start to the new year.
Last year wasn't any kinder to Chicago's dining scene. Prestigious hangouts like the Signature Room and gourmet hub Grand Lux Cafe bowed out, succumbing to the economic turbulence following the pandemic. As Crain's Chicago Business detailed, the city witnessed the demise of fixtures such as Dusek's Tavern & Dining Room and the trailblazing Metropolitan Brewing.
Even Michelin had to pull stars away from the city's culinary map with the closure of Claudia in Bucktown. While tight on fiscal reasons, Chef Trevor Teich commented, "Our industry is not what it used to be." Cooper's Hawk also drained its Chicago presence with the shutdown of its Esquire location and Owen & Engine's flame flickered out last August, ending a 14-year run of British-inspired cuisine and cozy nights by the fire.
The list of closures underscores the volatility of the restaurant business in one of the nation’s most vibrant food cities, hit with the one-two punch of a pandemic and economic downturn. As owners lock up and diners find their favorites disappearing, Chicago's food scene continues to face a brutal test of resilience and reinvention against the frosty backdrop of these economic headwinds.
