The Heartland Cafe will close, at least for now, at the end of the year.
In a letter to supporters, owner Tom Rosenfeld said that the sale of the building that houses the restaurant will leave it homeless. And while he left open the possibility of either reopening once a new building goes up on the site, or in a new location, he said the restaurant will close Dec. 31.
“We might be able to come back once the new owners build a new building, but that won’t be for some time,” Rosenfeld wrote. “So we have been reviewing new spaces. At this time, there are a few that might work and we are trying to work out details, but nothing is certain. No matter what happens next, we will need to close down for at least a few months. What we know now is that Heartland’s last day of operation in our home for 42 years will be December 31.”
Rosenfeld also paid tribute to Heartland Cafe founders Katy Hogan and Michael James.
“You breathed in Rogers Park and exhaled a space that could only exist in this neighborhood,” he said, referring to the couple who opened the restaurant in 1976. “Heartland has always been a reflection of you –outspoken, politically active, funny, lovable, a little rough around the edges, served with a splash of opinion and some veggies with black beans and rice. On behalf of the neighborhood who holds up your creation as an iconic symbol of Rogers Park, I thank you for what you created here.”
