Community Support Brings Back Kevin's Place

A GoFundMe campaign seeking to raise $5,000 to keep a popular Deerfield restaurant in business has netted almost four times that amount.

Kevin’s Place, owned by Kevin Quigley for the last 23 years, is once again open after having to shut its doors for a week or so due to unpaid sales taxes.

The Deerfield Review reports a customer, and friend, of Quigleys began an effort to raise money to see the place, which a Deerfield trustee called “an institution,” reopen.

Kristen Cisek, owner of the Fit Stop in Highland Park, began the campaign on January 23 and three days later, 202 people had donated $14,266 - even though the target had only been $5,000. As of February 5, the total stands at $19,505.

Those who had seen the effort on the GoFundMe site shared their thanks with Cisek.

“They say that no good deed goes unpunished. Thank you for doing such a good deed!” was a note left by Lori Kash.

“Kevin deserves our support and you made it happen!! Thank you Kristin!” wrote Roberta Hancock.

“I’m overwhelmed, so overwhelmed people like me this much,” Quigley told the Review. “People have given so much. All I want to do is feed people and help people. And, I like children.”