Illinois diners have lost three familiar places in less than three weeks. The closures hit Chicago, Naperville and several North and Northwest suburbs.
Three closures landed in quick succession
Paris Bistro in Naperville permanently closed on June 7, 2026, after 13 years in business, according to its public farewell message. The restaurant operated at 2656 Showplace Drive in Naperville Crossings after moving in June 2021 from 2835 Showplace Drive. It first opened in 2013 under founder Irina Haydon and was later run by Jonathon Santos.
In its closing statement, Paris Bistro said it shut its doors with “heavy hearts” and thanked customers for years of support in South Naperville. The post said the goal was to remain “a true, independent, family-owned business deeply rooted in this community.” Court records cited by The Naperville Sun show the business had been in Chapter 11 bankruptcy since April 2024.
The filing took a more urgent tone than the public goodbye. A brief filed in the case said the restaurant “had to cease operations immediately due to an inability to meet payroll.” The next bankruptcy court date is scheduled for June 30, 2026, making Paris Bistro’s closure more than a simple retirement after a long run.
Chicago area losses stretched from Andersonville to the suburbs
Fat Chris’s Pizza And Such in Chicago closed on May 22, 2026, ending a nine-year run at 1706 W. Foster Ave. in Andersonville. Owners Michael Milazzo and Violeta Djukic told Block Club Chicago that soaring ingredient costs and an expiring lease drove the decision. Milazzo said a case of tomatoes rose from about $20 to roughly $80.
The response from customers showed how much the restaurant meant to the neighborhood. Block Club Chicago reported sales nearly doubled after the closing announcement as regulars rushed in for one last Detroit-style pizza. Even with that bump, the owners decided not to sign another five-year lease at the Foster Avenue location.
That same day, May 22, 2026, Guzman y Gomez closed all 8 of its U.S. restaurants, all of them in the Chicago area. Confirmed suburban locations included Naperville, Evanston, Schaumburg, Buffalo Grove, Deerfield and Des Plaines. The company has not released a more detailed city-by-city final closure list beyond those publicly reported locations.
Why these restaurant shutdowns matter in Illinois
The Guzman y Gomez retreat was broad in scale compared with the two independent closures. The Australia-based chain said it was ending a six-year U.S. push after investing about $115 million in the American market. Roughly 500 employees were affected, and a class action lawsuit filed on May 25, 2026, alleges inadequate notice and severance for former workers.
The company had recently reaffirmed U.S. expansion plans before reversing course. In its farewell message, Guzman y Gomez wrote, “After six years of burritos and big dreams in Chicagoland, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our US restaurants.” Its website now states that all GYG USA restaurants are permanently closed.
Taken together, the three shutdowns show different kinds of pressure on Illinois restaurants in 2026. In Naperville, bankruptcy and payroll problems ended a 13-year French restaurant. In Andersonville, food costs and lease terms closed a nine-year pizza shop. Across the Chicago suburbs, a chain with 8 Illinois locations abandoned its entire U.S. strategy.
