A 65-year-old Chicago restaurant that was a breakfast favorite has abruptly shut - and people are hammering the landlord

A commercially successful meal spot connected nan suburban outskirts of Chicago closed its doors Sunday aft 65 years successful business, reportedly because nan landlord wanted to rate in.

Peter Gerousis, 43, who co-owned nan Cozy Corner Restaurant successful Oak Park, said that moreover though business was booming, nan determination to unopen down was mandatory.

'The edifice correct now is nan astir successful it's ever been successful 65 years — hands down,' Gerousis told nan Chicago Sun-Times. 'But our landlord felt it would beryllium adjacent to double our rent.' 

As he and co-owner Georgia Dravilas were nearing nan extremity of their 30-year lease, nan landlord wanted to raise nan monthly rent from $8,500 to $17,000 for their unit abstraction connected nan area of Marion and Lake Streets.

After talking pinch different business owners successful nan area, Gerousis came to nan conclusion that he was getting taken advantage of. So he and co-owner Georgia Dravilas started looking for a caller abstraction to rent. 

The 2 owners, who person known each different for complete 25 years, thought they recovered cleanable building to relocate to, and it was little than a artifact away.

But aft spending six months negotiating, nan woody fell through.

That's when Gerousis and Dravilas made nan difficult prime to telephone it quits. 

'I've been going done nan stages of grief, but I've been stuck astatine nan anger shape for a bit,' Gerousis said. 

Dravilas' begetter bought nan business successful 1994, but aft much than 20 years moving it, he looked to retire.

In 2015, he privately sold nan edifice to a caller owner, who spent astir 4 years racking up $500,000 successful unpaid taxes. 

Because it was a backstage sale, this personification owned 51 percent of nan business until nan acquisition indebtedness was paid off. 

Dravilas' begetter was capable to retake nan business successful 2019, and soon after, he transferred ownership to his girl and Gerousis.

'It was an insane magnitude of indebtedness that we came into,' Gerousis said. 'We didn't moreover recognize what we were stepping into but nan twine started unraveling.' 

Not only that, they took power of nan edifice connected correct connected nan cusp of nan COVID-19 pandemic, which collapsed retired successful March 2020. They relied connected carryout orders support gross steady.

'There's nary measurement we would've been capable to support our doors unfastened during COVID if it wasn't for nan support of everyone successful nan community,' said Gerousis. 

Dravilas, 44, said she'll miss socializing pinch longtime customers.

'The saddest portion astir this is nan customers,' Dravilas said. 'We person a batch of customers that person been coming present for galore years and now they're bringing their grandchildren. I'll miss nan interactions pinch them. No matter successful really bad of a temper I tin be, seeing them ever makes maine consciousness better.' 

One customer said pinch ABC7 Chicago astir his bully times astatine nan restaurant.

'This spot was a staple for maine erstwhile I first moved to Oak Park, ' Colin Knapp said arsenic he ate astatine nan edifice during its past time of business. 'My boy loves it and they cognize my boy astir present arsenic well. It's conscionable bully to person a spot wherever you consciousness for illustration a community.'

Homero Duarte worked astatine Cozy Corner arsenic a server for 25 years, and while he's sad that a immense section of his life is over, he's excited to spot what's next.

'I'm grateful for nan clip I spent here,' said Duarte. 'They've treated maine for illustration family here. I'm not judge wherever I'm going adjacent but I cognize I'll beryllium OK. At nan extremity of nan day, each that matters are nan memories I've made here.' 

Gerousis and Dravilas person not ruled retired reopening nan edifice astatine a later date, mostly because nan organization has showered them pinch encouragement and support.

Nothing is certain, but nan 2 friends' determination is not astatine each successful question.

'We're excessively young to retire,' Dravilas said.

Across America, restaurants person progressively been struggling this year. Faced pinch higher costs, they person put up paper prices - but that has led to a autumn successful customers. 

Bigger chains for illustration Applebee's, TGI Fridays and Boston Market person have each precocious shuttered restaurants, arsenic person smaller chains for illustration BurgerFi. 

Red Lobster revenge for bankruptcy successful May and besides shuttered almost 100 restaurants.  New owners were announced this week - arsenic it emerged nan debt-ridden chain owes $21 cardinal for shrimp alone.

Chains person been worst deed successful California wherever nan minimum costs for accelerated nutrient restaurants jumped to $20-an-hour from April 1. 

In early June, Mexican concatenation Rubio's unopen 48 locations in nan authorities and besides revenge for bankruptcy. 

Earlier this month, for example, Fargo's Pit BBQ successful Texas closed aft much than 2 decades of serving brisket, ribs and other barbecue classics.

Last month, two classical Bay Area Italian restaurants closed on nan aforesaid day.