- Credibility:
PILSEN —Less than two years after opening, owners of Monnie Burke’s in Pilsen will close the Mediterranean restaurant later this month to make way for another eatery.
On Thursday, the team behind the restaurant at 1163 W. 18th St. announced the plan to close on Jan. 2o and “re-concept the restaurant,” according to an announcement on Facebook.
“When we opened in 2018, our first investment was in the community of Pilsen. We look forward to continuing that commitment as we prepare to reimagine our space and open a new concept here on 18th Street in the coming months,” the announcement reads.

Co-owner and Oak Park mayor Anan Abu-Taleb opened the restaurant in spring 2018. Abu-Taleb also owns the Pizza Capri chain in Hyde Park and Lincoln Park, and Maya Del Sol in Oak Park, according to the Tribune.
Abu-Taleb’s wife and co-owner Margi Abu-Taleb named the restaurant after her aunt, a social worker and activist who taught at Loyola University, according to Eater.
“While this has been an extremely difficult professional decision, it has been far harder on a personal level. For our family, the greatest joy of hospitality is the personal connections we develop with our team, our guests, and the community we work in,” the team wrote on the Facebook post.
A representative for the company could not be immediately reached for comment.
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