Cross-Rhodes Moves Forward After Founder's Death

Two months after Cross-Rhodes founder Jeff Russell's death, business is back to normal at the Greek restaurant at 913 Chicago Ave.

Russell died Sept. 12 from injuries sustained from a fall. The restaurant closed that day and held a memorial gathering from the following evening, which brought in hundreds of people who wanted to celebrate his life.

“They were going out the door until 9:30,” says owner Maria Russell, Jeff's daughter. “I don’t think my father knew how much he was loved in the city. I think he would be in awe. It’s one thing to know that people are supportive. It’s another thing to physically see it. It was so wonderful to see how many people really did care about him and were touched by him.”

Related: Cross-Rhodes Restaurant Mourns Founder's Death

Since the restaurant reopened Sept. 15, Maria said business has been pretty much the same as usual. Maria said her father no longer had a part in the operations of the 28-year-old business.

"My dad hadn't worked in two and a half years," she said. "I'd already taken over."

Cross-Rhodes received hundreds of phone and Facebook messages after it announced Russell's death, with customers continuing to share their memories into late October as the word spread. The restaurant thanked those customers in a Sept. 14 Facebook post announcing the reopening.

"The Cross-Rhodes family extends further than anyone could have imagined," the message read. "Thank you to one and all. Your support and sharing of memories of Jeff and the restaurant has made us all appreciate just how lucky we are to be part of such a special place/family."

Now Maria is working to continue her father's legacy.

"(My goal is) to keep the same service and same quality that my father had for many years and to able to still give people that same warm feeling when they came in that he did, to just keep it going for as long as he did, to make him proud,” she said.