Illinois Restaurants That Closed Permanently In 2025

JOLIET, IL — In 2025, there were a number of restaurants across the Chicago area that turned off their lights and locked up their doors forever for various reasons.

Here are some of the Illinois restaurants that shut their doors permanently during 2025.

Pops Italian Beef Calls It Quits In Joliet: Jefferson Street Restaurant Doesn't Make It

In January 2022, Joe Haberkorn II opened his Pop's Italian Beef restaurant at Joliet's 1866 West Jefferson Street. After less than three and a half years of being open, Haberkorn decided to call it quits. This past June, Joliet Patch reported Haberkorn has permanently closed his Pop's Italian Beef restaurant in Joliet, the one near the busy corner of Larkin Avenue and Jefferson.

In Brian Bessler's Facebook page called the Joliet Area Bar and Restaurant Guide, there was discussion about the Pop's going out of business in Joliet.

"So disappointed. We ate there weekly. Their beef sandwiches always had more beef than the others. Great prices too," wrote Deena.

The vacant Pop's restaurant property remains for sale. The asking price for the Joliet Pop's restaurant is $2.7 million.

Savarino's Pizza Reveals Last Day In Shorewood After 13 Years: 'Difficult Decision Made'

After 13 years of business in Shorewood, Savarino's Pizza announced in May that it was calling it quits in two weeks. The Shorewood restaurant at 1134 West Jefferson Street was in the same strip mall as Happy Place Cafe, Will County Brewing and Mauve. May 31 marked its final day. Savarino's Pizza was available in regular crust, extra thin and double dough.

"It’s with a mix of gratitude and bittersweet emotions that, after 13 wonderful years serving this amazing community, we announce the closing of Savarino Pizza on June 1," Savarino's Pizza revealed on its Facebook site. "This difficult decision comes as two of our beloved family members step into well-earned retirements, and we shift our focus to continuing the tradition at Capri Pizza in Whiting, Indiana."

On an upbeat note, La Dolce Pizza has replaced the Savarino's, opening for business the week of Thanksgiving. Unlike Savarino's, La Dolce is takeout and delivery only.

Another Illinois Red Lobster Location Closes

On Dec. 10, Patch reported that the Bolingbrook Red Lobster location at 209 S. Weber Road has closed, the Village of Bolingbrook confirmed. The village board amended its Village Code to decrease the number of liquor licenses, due to the closing of Red Lobster.

The Red Lobster website still listed the Bolingbrook location, but the hours of operation listed that the restaurant was closed every day. Patch reached out to Red Lobster but received no response.

Red Lobster operates several locations in Illinois, including in Downers Grove, Oak Lawn, Orland Park and Joliet.

Romeoville Freddy's Frozen Custard Location Closes

The Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers location in Romeoville permanently closed in September. The Romeoville business had opened in December 2022 at 440 S. Weber Road. The Village of Romeoville said it was aware of the closure.

Several Freddy's locations have closed in the Chicago area over the past several months, including in Frankfort, Orland Park and Lake Zurich. The nearest Freddy’s is now in Champaign.

Mooyah Burgers Leaves Joliet After 10 Years In Community

After being in business for 10 years in Joliet, Mooyah pulled the plug on the city of Joliet, leaving the third-largest city in Illinois, during the month of January. The last time Joliet Patch wrote about Moohah Burgers was during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. At that time, the manager told Joliet Patch there were 77 restaurants in the U.S. and eight in international locations, but Joliet was the only one in Illinois.

Sure enough, there are now no Mooyah Burger restaurants remaining in Illinois, according to the company's website. If you are willing to drive to Wisconsin, Missouri, Ohio or Tennessee, those are probably the closest states with Mooyah Burgers still open.

On a positive note, the empty Mooyah restaurant on Joliet's West Jefferson Street has been taken over by the first Fry The Coop fast food chicken-sandwich restaurant for the region. Fry The Coop opened in June.

Elmhurst Restaurant Closes After Liquor License Woes

In July, Patch reported that a downtown Elmhurst restaurant that was barred from selling alcohol a year ago because of alleged violations closed its doors for good earlier this month. On July 8, Krafted Burger Bar, 111 E. First St., announced it was shutting its doors the same day in Elmhurst and Bolingbrook, its two locations.

"It's been an honor to serve these communities, and we are incredibly grateful for the memories made with you over the years," the restaurant said on Facebook.

Downtown Elmhurst Restaurant Closes Unexpectedly

In October, Patch reported that a downtown Elmhurst restaurant closed unexpectedly over the weekend, with residents speculating online about the cause. Sushi Time, 113 N. York St., was now listed as "temporarily closed" in its Google listing. The restaurant opened more than a decade ago. No one answered the restaurant's phone. The eatery's website included no explanation for the closure.

Downtown Hinsdale Restaurant Closes With Lease Expiration

In June, Patch reported that the Casa Margarita, a Mexican restaurant in the Hinsdale train station, recently closed when its lease expired. Now, the village government, which owns the space, is seeking proposals for a replacement, Village President Greg Hart told the Village Board. The deadline for submissions was June 26. In late April, a businessman told the board that he wanted to open Le Jolie, a French restaurant, in the train station.

Westmont Fast Food Restaurant Closes

In November, Patch reported that a Westmont fast-food restaurant recently closed, but it's unclear why. Margie's Beef and Gyros, 6410 S. Cass Ave., had been in business at the location for at least a couple of decades. As of Nov. 21, the phone number was out of service. The Google listing indicates the fast-food eatery as temporarily closed.

Darien-Area Chain Restaurant Closes

In late summer, Patch reported that a chain restaurant that specializes in soups, salads and sandwiches closed just outside Darien's city limits. Zoup! shut its doors after nine years at a shopping center in Woodridge that features Kohl's. It is southwest of Lemont Road and 75th Street.

In a Nextdoor post on July 17, Zoup! owner Maria Kemp announced that the restaurant would close its doors for good the next day. She said the restaurant served customers "one bowl at a time."

"You helped turn a small shop into a true gathering place, and we will carry those memories with us always," Kemp said in the post. "Though it’s hard to say goodbye, we close this chapter with full hearts."

Burr Ridge Breakfast Place Closes

In May 2022, Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso and others celebrated the opening of Yolk restaurant in a public ceremony. Its January 2025 closure was quieter. The breakfast restaurant at 595 Village Center Drive shut its doors after 2½ years.

The chain started in Chicago's South Loop in 2006. Six other locations are in Chicago and one is in the suburbs, River Forest. The chain includes six out-of-state restaurants – four in the Dallas area and two in Indianapolis.

OUT OF BUSINESS: Another Joliet Restaurant Fails To Make It, Tom Grotovsky Announces Details Of His Closing

As 2025 draws to a close, longtime Joliet restaurant owner Tom Grotovsky has broken the news that he's closing up The Curator's Cafe for good. Tuesday, Dec. 23 was his last day of business. He opened The Curator's Cafe on Joliet's Essington Road in January 2024 after several years of operating the Great American Bagel restaurant at that same location.

The Curator's Cafe moved in January to the American Legion Hall on Joliet's Ingalls Avenue, an off-the-beaten path location for a sit-down restaurant. Most of Joliet's restaurants are on busy roads such as Jefferson, Larkin and Essington Road, but Grotovsky wanted to give it a try and operate his Curator's Cafe from inside the American Legion Hall, and it never caught on with the community.

"This is a sad day for The Curator's Cafe. We are here to announce that we are going out of business as of tomorrow December 23," Grotovsky shared to Facebook.

Joliet Restaurant, Bar Closes Forever: Meg Gillespie Won't Reopen Thirty Buck, Magpie's Joy Of Eating

After announcing that her sit-down restaurant was "closed indefinitely" for the past several days, Meg Gillespie, daughter of Joliet sports legend Gordie Gillespie, made it official. On December 11, she took to Facebook, saying, "it is with sadness and heavy heart that I make this post. Magpie's Joy of Eating and Gordie's Thirty Buck will not be reopening."

Meg Gillespie added that "I am grateful to my team for walking beside me in this journey of love. Thank you to my family and friends old and new for your support, love, laughter and joy. Until we meet again."

On Jan. 10, 2024, Joliet Patch published a story unveiling the opening of Magpie's Joy of Eating on Ruby Street. Patch reported that around Joliet, the late Gordie Gillespie was regarded as the winningest coach to ever come out of the self-proclaimed City of the Champions. His daughter, Meg, had returned to Joliet after 14 years in Clearwater, Florida as a private chef. Jan. 10, 2024 marked the official passing of the torch from the now-closed Thayer Bros. Deli, as Meg Gillespie opened her new sit-down restaurant, Magpie's Joy of Eating, at 753 1/2 Ruby Street.