Cozy Corner, the diner mainstay at the corner of Lake and Marion in Oak Park, will close July 28.
Owners Georgia Dravilas and Peter Gerousis said they are sad to lock the doors on this local institution, but added that they are thankful for the many years and faithful customers.
The restaurant opened 65 years ago with current co-owner Dravilas’ father at the helm. When he was ready to retire around 2015, he made a private sale to a new owner. That person ran into trouble with various government entities as a result of non-payment of taxes, in addition to other financial difficulties.
Because it was a private sale –Dravilas’ father still owned 51% of the business until the purchase loan was paid – the elder Dravilas regained control of the diner in 2019. Dravilas and Gerousis took over the business shortly after.
The two spent several years resolving the backlog of financial entanglements and then, of course, the pandemic happened.
“If it wasn’t for Takeout 25, we would have been shut down back then,” Gerousis said. “We cannot be any more grateful. I almost feel like we owe the community a debt.”
In the past two years, the owners finally felt they were back on solid financial footing and the restaurant was thriving. The next challenge that loomed before them was the end of a 30-year lease for the space at 138 N. Marion St.
According to Gerousis, the landlord informed them that their rent would more than double for the restaurant space. So last November, the owners began a search to see whether a good option existed to move to a new location.
They thought they had found a perfect situation in the former Bar Louie spot at 1122 Lake St., less than a block away.
“It was almost four times larger than what we have here. It was a little bit bigger than what we wanted, but we definitely could make it work,” Gerousis said.
There were other advantages, too. They hoped to build out the new space while still being able to operate out of the old one, making it an almost seamless move across the street. Not having a gap in time mattered to the employees, as well.
“The whole purpose of moving there is to have keep my team with me. I can’t expect employees to wait like three months for us to get that ready,” Dravilas said.
The former Bar Louie space was involved in court proceedings, so lease negotiations moved slowly. Four months passed. Then it fell through. According to Gerousis, a new investor in the commercial property came into the picture and refused to give them more than 10 years on a lease. Cozy Corner’s owners said it would be hard to get a loan for renovations without having an option to extend past 10 years.
“We just kind of ran out of time,” Gerousis said.
So Dravilas and Gerousis made the heartbreaking decision to close Cozy Corner. They informed the staff first.
“We wanted to give them as much notice as possible,” Gerousis said. They are working to help staff find positions in other local restaurants.
Both owners said they are grateful to have been a part of the fabric of the area.
“Cozy Corner would have never been a success, if it wasn’t for this community,” Gerousis said.
Dravilas has one more request for the community: “If you come in before we close, please be generous to the staff. They are the heart of Cozy Corner.”
While you still can:
Website: cozycorneroakpark.com
Hours: Every day 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Location: 138 N. Marion