3- STAR RESTAURANT GRACE SHUTS DOWN AFTER CHEF’S EXIT
Famed restaurant closes after founders quit
Chicago’s famed Grace restaurant has shut down after its founders parted ways with their Michelin three- star- rated restaurant in the West Loop.
Head chef Curtis Duffy left the restaurant on Dec. 1, and general manager Michael Muser left on Monday. They quit after negotiations fell through to purchase the restaurant from the owner, real estate investor Michael Olszewski, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.
The restaurant opened in December 2012 and was one of two in Chicago to earn a coveted three- star Michelin Guide rating — among just 14 restaurants in the country that have achieved the lofty triple stars.
Duffy and Muser released a statement saying “it became evident that our evolving goals and aspirations were no longer aligned with the restaurant and its future, making this change necessary.”
“As this chapter ends, another begins. We plan to spend quality time with our families as we develop our next project. The future holds much in store.”
The restaurant briefly stayed open after the founders’ departure, but Olszewski confirmed Wednesday night that the acclaimed restaurant’s “run has come to an end.”
“This was a difficult decision for me to make, but it’s in the best interest of everyone involved,” the owner said in a statement. “This space will live to see another day with yet another great restaurant headed by a new team that will make Chicago and the restaurant community proud.”