Cosi Restaurant, which has been a fixture at the high-traffic corner of Lake and Marion in Oak Park for a decade, is closing next spring.
Shaker Management, which owns the property at 1101 Lake, announced the closing in a press release last week. Cosi recently informed Shaker that the chain didn’t want to renew the lease after it expires March 31.
“It was a difficult decision,” William Koziel, chief financial officer of Cosi, said in the press release. “Oak Park is a vibrant community, and we have enjoyed meeting and serving our many loyal guests these past 10 years.”
The Deerfield, Ill.-based company has been around since 1996 and has more than 100 locations in 16 states, according to its website.
In the press release, property owner Anthony Shaker called the eatery an “anchor” to downtown Oak Park and said their landlord-tenant relationship has been “outstanding.”
Shaker said several other food establishments have expressed interest in the space, though he isn’t specifically focusing on a restaurant to take Cosi’s place. He hopes to have a new tenant lined up by the time the business closes.
