Top recent Chicago closures: Catch 35, The Fifty/50, Aldi
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The Fifty/50 in Wicker Park. Photo: Justin Kaufmann/Axios
It was a busy end to the summer for restaurant closures, including some neighborhood and downtown favorites.
Here's a list of some of the notable closures in August and September.
No more wings and nachos: Wicker Park sports bar The Fifty/50 shuttered its doors last month. The restaurant was a mainstay for sports fans and bar food lovers for more than 15 years and helped reshape Division Street west of Damen Avenue.
Pre-theater dinners won't be the same: Catch 35 announced it is closing up shop later this month. The seafood restaurant opened 35 years ago in the lobby of the Leo Burnett building and was a preferred destination for folks attending shows at the Chicago Theatre and on Randolph Street.
We hardly knew ye: The folks behind Smoque BBQ closed their 2023 addition Smoque Steak in Avondale. It operated for just over a year but offered a welcome twist on the typical steakhouse with a smoky cut of beef. The Elston Avenue location is now a catering and events space.
Japanese culture continues to fade in Wrigleyville: Founded in 1978 by Aikido master Fumio Toyoda, the Japanese Culture Center on Belmont offered classes in martial arts, flower arranging and other Japanese arts, representing one of the last touchstones of Lakeview's Japanese-American past.
- What's next: Many of the programs will now be offered in a new location at 2940 N. Lincoln, home of the old Midwest Aikido Center.
Not closing up, but cashing out: Famed restaurateur Nick Kokonas announced he sold his ownership stake in the Alinea Group, which includes Alinea, Next, The Aviary and more. He will still have a minority stake in Alinea, but he is going to be focusing on new projects moving forward.
Cesar's kills its old social media: Reps for Lakeview's Cesar's Home of the Killer Margarita tell Axios their socials were hacked and Meta did little to help.
- So they've started fresh and want killer margarita fans to learn about their "real" new specials on Instagram @cesarskillermargaritas.
This street isn't big enough for two Aldis: For years, Lincoln Park has hosted two Aldi stores on Clybourn, a little over a mile apart.
- By the end of the month, the one beneath a Trader Joe's near Sheffield will close, leaving the location near Wrightwood and Menards to claim survival victory.
Other notable closings: Houlihan's in Naperville, BopNGrill in Lakeview, Fig & Olive on Oak Street, Salsa Picante in Ukrainian Village and Jack & Ginger's in Bucktown.