Diner Chain Bakers Square Spares Chicago Location After Bankruptcy Filing

Bakers Square spares Chicago location after bankruptcy filing

Bakers Square has closed five Illinois restaurants after its parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Tuesday. The venerable chain, known for its pie, closed 33 restaurants across the country, Nation’s Restaurant News reported. Bakers Square’s only Chicago location, on the Northwest Side on Harlem Avenue, was spared. The Illinois locations that closed are Alsip, Lansing, Libertyville, Orland Park (La Grange Road), and Springfield, according to news releases. Nine locations in Illinois remain and workers at the closed locations were moved to other restaurants, according to the release. The chain started in the early 1970s in Iowa, then known as Poppin Fresh Pies, and competes in the same diner chain space as Denny’s as others.

Vienna Beef to permanently close hot dog museum Saturday

The Vienna Beef factory will close its hot dog-centric museum for good when it relocates from its Bucktown site, Block Club reported. The museum officially closes Saturday at 2501 N. Damen Avenue and won’t reopen inside the new factory location. It debuted two years ago in honor of Vienna Beef’s 125th anniversary. The Bucktown property is slated for a $40 million redevelopment by golf course company Drive Shack, Inc., which will include a restaurant, bar, and driving range.

Storied diner Palace Grill is an official piece of Blackhawks history

The famed Palace Grill isn’t just a popular diner — it’s an integral part of Chicago hockey history where fans, media, parents, and players have gathered for decades, a sweeping article from NBC Sports Chicago reported Tuesday, detailing the storied venue’s distinctive culture and legacy. It’s owned by restaurant industry lifer and diner expert George Lemperis, whom the article describes as the heart of the Palace, 1408 W. Madison Street. “Imagine if Norm from Cheers owned the bar,” Tribune sports reporter Jimmy Greenfield said. For more on Lemperis’ story, check out this Eater feature from 2013.

Ramova Theatre renovation proffers a fresh peek into new look

A fresh rendering of a rehabbed Ramova Theatre, the historic Bridgeport venue that has sat empty since 1986, is now available online thanks to WTTW. The renovations will include an attached restaurant run by sixth-generation Bridgeport resident Kevin Hickey (the Duck Inn) that will pay tribute to the theatre’s original restaurant, the Ramova Grill. It’ll also feature a brewery, taproom, and multiple bars throughout. The entire project will likely cost around $23 million. Take a look inside the raw space in the report below.

Lincoln Park’s Southern-tinged restaurant and bar to close Thursday

And finally, Lincoln Park’s Drawl Southern Cookhouse & Whiskey Room will close at 10 p.m. on Thursday after a little less than two years, the Tribune reported. Ownership announced the planned closure in an email sent to subscribers Tuesday but did not detail the reasons behind the decision. The Southern-tinged restaurant and bar opened at 2423 N. Clark Street in March 2018 in the former home of the Lincoln Park Stadium Club sports bar.