Overview
- Wishbone confirmed it will shut its West Loop restaurant after 36 years and the owners are aiming to remain open through the end of August while a final closing date is set.
- Owner Joel Nickson told reporters that rising operating costs and a recent plumbing failure that wiped out a weekend of sales contributed to the decision to close.
- The restaurant saw a surge of customers following a social media announcement as longtime patrons returned for final meals and to share memories.
- Chef Joel Nickson opened Wishbone in 1990 in West Town and the brand later expanded and contracted, with locations moving in 2018 and earlier sites closing in 2011 and 2019.
- The owners say they will try to help staff find new jobs before the doors close and there is no public plan yet for the property or for how the local dining scene will absorb the loss.