Snap Kitchen is Leaving Chicago, Plus More Intel

—Snap Kitchen is leaving the Chicago market this week. The Austin, Texas-based chain last week told its 75 employees that December 14 would be the day it ceases operations in Chicago. The chain entered the Chicago market in 2014, serving ready-made meals, juices, and snacks to healthy-conscious customers. Snap will close all five locations and two kiosks at Whole Foods in Lakeview and Streeterville. Chicago Business Journal broke the news.

—Another Star Wars movie debuts this week, and Chicago’s restaurants and bars are always keen on ways to celebrate fandom. Over at Paulie Gee’s in Logan Square, they’re offering customers a selection of Star Wars-inspired pizzas. Rebel logo, TIE fighter, R2-D2, and Storm Trooper pizzas will be available each night and the cheese pizzas cost $14 to $17 (depending on the complexity of design). The designs make it hard to add toppings, but basil, mushrooms, and soppressata can be added. Only 20 pizzas (five of each design) will each night on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. A local vintage toy store, Toy de Jour, inspired the designs. It’s big news for Paulie Gee’s, which just perfected a recipe for gluten-friendly Detroit-style squares. A limited amount of those pies are also available.

—An Uptown restaurant needed to call police twice last week after two separate incidents. The Jerk Stop, 1132 W. Wilson Avenue, was the scene of a shooting on Wednesday night when four people were shot outside the restaurant, according to Crime in Wrigleyville + Boystown. There’s no word on the victims’ injuries, but the restaurant’s windows were shattered by the bullets. Adding to that, the restaurant was closed on Thursday, but when workers returned on Friday, the found the place burglarized. Cash, a TV, and seven iPads were taken.

—Eight Chicago restaurants/groups were among OpenTable’s 100 Best Restaurants in America for 2017. The reservation website listed Bavette’s, Girl & the Goat, Joe’s Seafood and Prime Steak, Oriole, Riccardo Entoteca, RL Restaurant, RPM Italian/Steak, and True Food Kitchen.