Evanston Vegan Restaurant Closing After Just 6 Months

EVANSTON, IL — Just over six months after 17 Plant Based opened its doors in downtown Evanston, the plant-based restaurant is closing, officials said.

17 Plant Based opened to the public on Jan 16 at the Hilton Orrington, led by Chef and LM Restaurant Group co-founder Stephan Outrequin. While the restaurant's website says it plans to reopen in September, Vice President of Marketing at LM Gabi Dorsch confirmed the restaurant's permanent closure in an email to Patch.

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"I know, it was short- lived, but we do believe in vegan food," Dorsch said in a statement to Patch. "That's why we decided to add a few fan-favorite vegan items to the menu of our sister restaurant Evanston Corner Bistro, which is located within the Hilton Orrington, the same building as 17 Plant Based was located."

Officials did not provide a reason for 17 Plant Based's closure.

Outrequin based the restaurant's concept around the number 17, which links to a dangerous near-death experience that changed his outlook on life. On Jan 17, 2021, Outrequin survived a surfing accident in Costa Rica, according to 17 Plant Based's website.

His survival left him with a new understanding of what it really meant to nourish the body. In his recovery, Outrequin said he realized that the food people eat shapes their health and resilience.