Mr. A's Italian Beef To Close In Crystal Lake After 54 Years

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL — Mr. A’s, known in Crystal Lake for more than 50 years for its authentic Italian beef sandwiches, will close permanently on Friday due to the declining health of its long-time owner, the restaurant announced on Tuesday.

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I announce that due to Mr. A's declining health, will be closing our doors after 54 years in Crystal Lake,” the restaurant announced on its Facebook page.

“It has truly been a Blessing to have served the Crystal Lake community all this time. You were all family to us and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We will miss you all.”

The first Mr. A’s Crystal Lake location opened in 1968 by Bob Amoroso, whose family opened its first Italian beef stand in Chicago in the 1950s, according to the restaurant’s website. When Amoroso decided to expand the business to the suburbs, his grammar school teacher suggested Crystal Lake, which would be a prime location for another beef stand.

The Crystal Lake location opened on Route 14 and Dole Avenue on the city’s west end. The original location was small, the website said and included just a counter where customers could enjoy sandwiches.

The family business thrived in what was then a “sleepy town,” the restaurant said. Gen Amoroso, known affectionately as “Mrs. A” became a fixture at the new location and made batches of homemade giardinieraby hand.

The owner’s brother, Mick, took over day-to-day operations of the location in recent years but Bob Amoroso claimed he would never truly retire from the family business, the website said.

Mr. A’s current location replaced the original stand and included more seating, expanded its menu and started selling its family’s secret recipe Italian beef by the pound. Only a few family members know the recipe, which is made up of a spice combination locked inside the spice room where the restaurant’s brand of beef is still made by hand.

“Even though Mr. A's has evolved over the years,” the website said, “the Italian beef sandwiches are still "stuffed with beef" and made with love by the Amoroso family.”