UpRising Bakery, Which Faced Harassment Over Family-Friendly Drag Shows, Closes

Summertime — Chicago’s busiest hospitality season — has arrived, and the city’s diners flocking to patios, bars, and dining rooms to celebrate the occasion. But even warm and sunny days aren’t always enough to counter the challenges facing the industry, including inflated food costs and ongoing staffing shortages.

Below, Eater is cataloging both temporary and permanent restaurant closures in Chicago. If you know of a restaurant, bar, or another closed food establishment, please email chicago@eater.com. We will continue to update this post.

For summer and fall closures, go here.

June 5

Streeterville: Curfew, a bar and restaurant from celebrity chef Fabio Viviani (Bar Siena) inside the Hotel St. Clair, is permanently closed at 162 E. Ontario Street. Curfew first opened in August 2022 off the Magnificent Mile with an upscale menu that sought to highlight American, Italian, and Spanish flavors.

Wrigleyville: Country-themed neighborhood bar Houndstooth Saloon permanently closed on Sunday, May 14 after 17 years, owners announced on Instagram. A boisterous local hangout with rustic antler light fixtures, Houndstooth was named for the signature houndstooth fedora worn by University of Alabama football coach Paul William “Bear” Bryant. In the past, a rep told Block Club Chicago that construction from the CTA’s Red-Purple Modernization Project caused a decline in the bar’s visibility and profits. The bar moved across the street to its last location at 3369 N. Clark Street.

East Dundee: The Anvil Club, a members-only fine dining club that opened to the public in 2022, will permanently close on Monday, July 31 after 67 years, according to the Tribune. Originally founded in 1956 in a former blacksmith shop at 309 Meier Street, the club was recently purchased by Colin Hegarty, also behind suburban brunch spots Maple & Hash. Hegarty plans to convert it into a Mexican restaurant set to open in November.

Lake in the Hills: Far suburban spot UpRising Bakery and Cafe is permanently closed nearly a year after the business became a target for anti-LGBTQ threats and vandalism over plans for a “very, very family friendly” all-ages drag show, owner Corinna Sac announced on Facebook. Founded in 2021, the indie bakery found itself swept up in a national wave of dangerous far-right rhetoric that falsely links queer people to child abuse. In July 2022, Lake of the Hills police arrested Joseph I. Collins, 24, of Alsip, in connection with a vandalism incident, charging him with a felony hate crime and criminal damage to property. Despite the closure, Sac vows that Illinois hasn’t seen the last of her.

“I want to be abundantly clear, this is not goodbye,” she writes. “I promise you will be seeing A LOT of our faces and good outcomes will sprout from the hideous actions of so many against us here. This will not continue to happen to people, not while I have a voice and a beating heart.”

May 10

Bridgeport: Restaurateurs and spouses Omar Solis and Audri Simonelli-Solis have permanently closed their trio of neighborhood restaurants: 14-year-old iconic brunch favorite Nana, as well as 4-year-old Taco E and Cuban and Puerto Rican grill Ajo, according to to the restaurant’s newsletter. Perched near the intersection of West 33rd and South Halsted streets, the restaurants underwent numerous changes to keep pace amid pandemic turmoil, and the couple united them all under the name All In Kitchen. Though their community embraced the adjustments, the couple tells reporters that their restaurants’ heydays are behind them. By closing just before the bustling summer season, they’re able to give employees some support and flexibility.

Lincoln Park: Willow Room, a stylish new American restaurant and tavern that’s drawn fans for seven years, is temporarily closed for construction at 1800 N. Halsted Street, ownership announced Tuesday, May 9 in an Instagram post. The team aims to reopen the restaurant in mid-June. The walls are papered with lemons with the mysterious text: “we’re making lemonade.”

West Loop: Familiar Bakery, chef Ashley Robinson’s (Dusek’s, Japonais, Spinning J Bakery) baked goods business at From Here On food hall inside the Old Post Office, is closed after 16 months, ownership announced Friday, May 5, on Instagram. Though the closure was immediate, they also teased a possible return at some future date. “Your support has meant the world to us, and we hope we’ve brightened your days a bit with our creative takes on familiar staples,” they write. “It’s not so long, it’s farewell til we see you again.”

April 26

West Town: Greek dining and drinking spot Six06 Cafe Bar is permanently closed at 1641 W. Chicago Avenue after more than five years, its co-owners announced on Instagram. Designed as an unpretentious all-day spot with an impressive DJ lineup and rooftop bar, Six06 launched in 2018 with a Greek and Mediterranean menu and colorful wall-size murals. “We created an authentic oasis where everyone was welcome,” ownership writes in part. “A place with culture, feeling and a purpose... The owners of this building decided to go a different direction that they believed will suit the neighborhood and city better than we did.”

Wicker Park: Bar and beer garden Pint is permanently closed after nearly two decades at 1547 N. Milwaukee Avenue, according to Block Club Chicago. Owner Kevin O’Donnell, who founded the bar in 2003, is exiting the hospitality industry entirely and turning his attention to projects including Modobag, his motorized ridable luggage brand. A new bar, Lone Owl Pub, is slated to take over the space in early May.

Wicker Park: A joint location of sandwich spot Zenwich and bubble tea shop Elitea is permanently closed after a year and a half at 1415 N. Milwaukee Avenue, owners announced Wednesday, April 19 on Instagram. The location has seen a revolving door of businesses over recent years, including Yuzuya, a casual Pan Asian restaurant from the owners of Yuzu in West Town. Zenwich owner Chai Ploentham tells reporters that he sold the building and will focus on the company’s primary location in suburban Elmhurst. Chicago-based bubble tea chain Uni Uni is set to take over the Milwaukee Avenue space.

Chicago Heights: 3 Star Liquors & Tavern, a Hungry Hill neighborhood social hub known for its bocce courts, will permanently close on Sunday, April 30 after 87 years at 164 22nd Street in Chicago Heights, nearly 32 miles south of the city, according to the Tribune. Originally founded in 1936 by the Panici family, it long served as a gathering place for the area’s Italian immigrant community and served as a childhood playground for Jerry Colangelo, the famed Chicago Bulls scout who went on to coach, manage, and then own the Phoenix Suns.

Evanston: Irish pub The Celtic Knot Public House will close on Sunday, April 30 at 626 Church Street in suburban Evanston as its owners search for a new space in the area, ownership announced Saturday, April 22 on Facebook. It was founded in 2005 by Irish native Patrick Breslin, who now runs the business with his wife Liz. “We are working with people from the City of Evanston and others to secure an alternative location so that we can reopen in the community that we love,” they write.

April 17

Around Town: Virtual Mexican Jewish bakery Masa Madre will close its baking operations on Sunday, April 30 after five years of thrilling Chicago carb fans (Jewish and otherwise) with hits like cinnamon churro babka, colorful conchas, and hamantaschen filled with guava jam. Co-founders Tamar Fasja Unikel and Elena Vasquez Felgueres announced the impending closure last week in an email but reassured fans that “this does not mean we are going away. This means Masa Madre will be evolving into a new path that takes us to new places.” Stay tuned for more on the co-founders’ next steps.

Lakeview: Furious Spoon, a local ramen mini-chain from chef Shin Thompson, has permanently closed its restaurant at 800 W. Belmont Avenue after six years, with huge “for lease” sign posted at the corner of Halsted and Belmont. The location was the brand’s sixth at the time, joining outposts in Wicker Park, Logan Square, the Loop, Pilsen, and suburban Evanston. Now, Furious Spoon is down to a single location on Milwaukee Avenue in Logan Square. Known for its non-traditional aesthetic (including graffiti-laden walls and a hip-hop soundtrack), Furious Spoon in Lakeview took over the former home of 15-year-old gay club Spin. The restaurant was also the subject of a 2018 Eater documentary on the gentrification of gayborhoods.

Batavia: Italian American restaurant Tribella Bar and Grill permanently closed in late March at 1900 Mill Street in suburban Batavia after 26 years in business, according to the Daily Herald. Co-owners and spouses Christine and Joe DiGuglielmo, who purchased the restaurant in 2007, tell reporters that business at the 6,000-square-foot sit-down restaurant never fully recovered after pandemic mitigations were lifted. They also say they’ve observed a shift in diner preferences in the area, with many preferring a faster pace than the one Tribella offered.

April 6

Lincoln Square: Indian neighborhood restaurant Paprika is permanently closed after 15 years at 2547 W. Lawrence Avenue, chef and owner Shah Kabir announced on its website. Founded in 2008, the BYOB spot snagged a 2013 segment on Check, Please!, WTTW and David Manilow’s Chicago restaurant-traversing TV show that ended in 2020 after 19 seasons.

The Loop: Stand-Up Burgers, what Veggie Grill pivoted to during the pandemic, specializing in meat-free burgers and fries to junk food-craving vegans and vegetarians, is permanently closed after two years at 204 N. Wells Street. The location, the chain’s last in Chicago, has been wiped from the company website.

Wicker Park: Chicago-based cafe mini-chain Fairgrounds Coffee and Tea in March closed its original location at 1620 N. Milwaukee Avenue after six years, according to a notice posted to the store window that reads “Thanks for the memories.” Fairgrounds, which now operates shops in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Texas, first opened in 2017 next door to the Robey hotel.

Wicker Park: La Borra Cafe, the Mexican chain that arrived in Chicago in 2020, has closed its high-profile location in Wicker Park at 1700 W. Division Street. The import entered a crowded market and had big plans for the city with signage up at several locations, but many of them were quietly canceled. This space, formerly, Carriage House and Buck’s, seems to be struggling in finding an identity.