Iconic Chicago Italian Chain Shutters its Two-Year-Old River North Restaurant

Rosebud, the popular local chain of Italian restaurants, has closed its River North restaurant Mama’s Boy without warning. The restaurant has been removed from the chain’s website and its social media pages have vanished one day after promoting Valentine’s Day dinner reservations. A woman who answered the phone at Rosebud’s corporate office confirms that the restaurant has “ceased operations.” A tipster reports seeing the restaurant’s furniture removed and placed in a moving truck yesterday.

Mama’s Boy lasted less than two-and-a-half years in business on a prime corner in River North, at 445 N. Dearborn Street at Illinois Street. It opened after some remodeling in the space that was previously another Rosebud restaurant, Joe Fish, in September 2016. Its lunch and dinner menus served a reliable mix of large-portioned red sauce Italian dishes, wine and cocktails, and included a chef’s counter decorated with pasta racks.

A Rosebud rep hasn’t responded with more information by press time. Since Rosebud has now closed and opened multiple restaurants in the space it’s possible they could try again, so stay tuned for any updates. River North eaters have plenty of other Italian options in the interim including RPM Italian, Quartino, Eataly, Siena Tavern, Osteria Via Stato, Il Porcellino, Maggiano’s, and many more. Rosebud’s closest restaurant is its Rush Street spot in the Gold Coast.