Papaspiros, the Greek restaurant on Lake Street near Oak Park Avenue, is closed – mostly empty, colorful blue awnings gone poof. The Journal has reported on the closing of the restaurant. Still after being a fixture on the street for 15 years, the sudden absence seems a bit of a shock. We have also reported on owner Spiro Papageorge’s plans to open a scaled back version of Papaspiros across the street sometime this spring. It is unclear whether the Papaspiros name will carry across the street as the format changes. Work on the new site, the former home to the Velvet Rope nightclub, appears to be progressing slowly.
No official word on what will replace Papaspiros in the Scoville Block One building. James Bushouse, the long-time owner of that landmark building, has not returned calls for comment though it is understood a new restaurant is on its way. Bushouse has been steadily, and lovingly, restoring the mixed use building over the past two decades.
