One of the most recognizable restaurants at the popular Westfield Old Orchard Mall in the north suburbs is abruptly closing, with only one week left of operation.
Fine dining restaurant The Capital Grille, which opened at the mall just three years ago, confirmed to NBC Chicago Thursday it will close its location at the Skokie mall at the end of the month. The restaurant’s final day of business will be May 31.
A statement from a spokesperson for Darden Restaurants, which owns and operates Capital Grille, said the decision was made after “careful consideration.”
“Closing this restaurant is a difficult business decision, and it’s one we made very carefully and thoughtfully, particularly because it impacts our team members and our guests,” the statement said. “In no way does this reflect on the quality of our team members’ work, and we’re doing everything we can to help every team member find a new job.”
It wasn’t immediately clear when Darden made the decision to close.
The restaurant, known for its dry-aged steaks, fresh seafood and wine opened the sprawling, 9,000 square-foot space on the southeast side of the mall in March of 2023, taking over the former McCormick & Schmick’s space.
The Capital Grille also has locations in Lombard, Rosemont, Schaumburg and Streeterville.
“We continually evaluate the performance of all our restaurants, but there are no plans to close any other locations at this time,” Darden’s statement said.
Earlier this year, Darden announced plans to close permanently 28 locations of Bahama Breeze, another restaurant in its group. Other restaurants owned and operated by Darden include Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Yard House, Seasons 52 and Ruth’s Chris Steak House.
Westfield Old Orchard Mall did not immediately return NBC Chicago’s request for comment.
