Pete Miller’s, Evanston’s 25-Year-Old Steak Staple, Is Closed

Evanston staple Pete Miller’s Steak & Seafood closed Monday at 1557 Sherman Avenue after a 25-year run, along with a handful of other restaurants from parent group Sonas Hospitality. Pete Miller’s Naperville location, and suburban spots Midnight Pig Taproom, Nevin’s Brewing Co., and Muldoon’s are also closed. Representatives from Sonas Hospitality have not yet responded to requests for information. Sonas-owned Willowbrook bar the Kerry Piper will remain open.

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General manager Cory Robinson told the Tribune that Sonas Hospitality’s owners want to retire, which is why the shuttered all but one of its restaurants. He added workers were informed of the closures on Monday. A Pete Miller’s employee posted on Facebook about how the restaurant suddenly closed in Evanston and that the company didn’t give workers any warning. A real estate listing for the former Pete Miller’s space in Evanston lists annual rent costs at $322,418, according to Evanston Now.

Sonas’s most recent project, Midnight Pig Taproom, opened in April 2018 with a pour-your-own-beer system featuring 30 taps. Irish pub Muldoon’s first opened in Wheaton in 2006, and Nevin’s Brewing Co. opened in Plainfield six years later. Adored Northwestern University bar Tommy Nevin’s Pub shuttered in Evanston in 2017, leading to students allegedly looting the bar for memorabilia.

Tommy Nevin’s Naperville location also closed in 2017 and was reopened as a Pete Miller’s, according to Plainfield Patch. The Nevin’s group, including partner Steven Cin, took over the Tommy Nevin’s Pub brand in 2003, according to Crain’s. Cin left the group in 2015, paving the way for Sonas Hospitality.