Jim's Original, Rivers and more: Chicago businesses closing in 2026
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An Axios Chicago work lunch at Jim's Original in University Village. Photo: Justin Kaufmann/Axios
Spring is usually when Chicago businesses look ahead. Instead, this year has brought a wave of restaurant and retail closures — from icons like Jim's Original to longtime neighborhood staples across the city.
The big picture: A growing list of Chicago restaurant and retail closures this spring offers a snapshot of broader changes reshaping neighborhoods, commercial corridors and dining habits.
Here are some notable closings from March to May:
Maxwell Street legend: Jim's Original is not only a holdover from the Maxwell Street days in University Village, but also a beacon on Union Street for drivers at the Jane Byrne Interchange.
- The 87-year-old hot dog stand attracted Chicagoans from all over the city for its bone-in pork chop sandwich or Polish sausage. The spot boasts that they invented the Polish in 1943.
- The legendary spot will close June 30 as its landlord, UIC, plans to expand its campus.
Yes, but: Don't fret, Jim's Original plans to open a new stand in nearby Pilsen.
Greektown loses another: Meli's Cafe and Juice Bar exploded onto the scene about 20 years ago, using its popularity to expand into River North and Printer's Row.
- Those locations outgrew the original location on Jackson Street in Greektown, which abruptly closed its doors in April. The two other locations remain open.
Uncommon Ground (Wrigleyville): While this isn't a closing per se, the owners of the legendary cafe in Wrigleyville are retiring and looking for a new buyer.
- The healthy fare on Clark Street has always been a nice respite from sports bars near Wrigley Field. Good live music, too.
Cinnamon buns, hun: Another legendary spot, Ann Sather, is on the move. A major redevelopment planned for Belmont Avenue is forcing former Ald. Tom Tunney to relocate his flagship Lakeview restaurant. The current location will remain open through July.
River drinking: There was a time when restaurants and bars lined the Chicago River's south branch along Wacker Drive, serving the financial sector downtown. For over 30 years, Rivers was one of those spots. The restaurant closed its doors in April.
Berwyn?!?!? La Casa del Pueblo Taqueria, a Pilsen staple since the 1990s, is moving to Berwyn. The restaurant was known for its amazing Mexican fare and its colorful facade along Blue Island Avenue.
Who needs shoes, anyway? It's not all restaurants: Mount Greenwood lost its family-run shoe store, Big 'N Little Shoes. The store operated for over 60 years before closing in April.
Other notable spring closures: Fat Chris's Pizza And Such (Andersonville), Max And Issy's Pizzeria (Lincoln Park), Arrennelo's Pizza (Glenwood), Signature Steak (South Loop), Amici (Lincoln Park), Segnatore (Humboldt Park) and Bob's Pizza (Hyde Park).