LOGAN SQUARE — Joining numerous other restaurants and bars across the city, Longman & Eagle has closed indefinitely as Chicago continues to regress in its fight against coronavirus.
The popular farm-to-table restaurant and whiskey bar at 2657 N. Kedzie Ave. will remain closed through the winter, according to an Instagram post. The owner hopes to reopen the restaurant sometime in early 2021.
“We didn’t make this call lightly, but want to make sure that once the pandemic is over, we can welcome everyone back to the same old Longman you know and love,” the Longman team wrote on Instagram this week.
The closure comes a little more than two weeks after Longman reopened the restaurant’s sausage shop, and pivoted to only offering delivery and pickup in an effort to slow the virus’s spread.
It was Longman staffers who ultimately decided the restaurant should close, according to the post.
“This is hard news, we know, and we wish things were different. But we do have the absolute best team, and when they say they’re ready to call it, we trust them. We can’t thank every single staff member enough for their extremely hard work this year,” the post reads.
In an email, owner Pete Toalson said staying open through the winter would’ve “likely put us in a precarious financial position, risking a 2021 opening.”
“We, collectively, decided to close for a couple of months, to [ensure] we could reopen strongly in early 2021,” Toalson said.
While Longman’s kitchen will remain closed for the months to come, the restaurant’s bottle shop, web store and six-room inn will remain open.
“We’d love to have you for a staycation — that income will help us pay our bills until we can reopen the restaurant,” restaurant leaders said in the post.
Fans of Longman are also encouraged to donate to the restaurant’s employee relief fund, which has raised $12,355 as of Thursday afternoon.
“Unemployment is not universal, and the crew will really appreciate any support you’re able to give them, the Longman team said.
Before the shutdown, Longman was offering Thanksgiving dinners for two. The restaurant will still be fulfilling those orders. There are also a few more slots available for those who’d like to place an order.
Closing for the winter has become a trend among Chicago restaurants and bars with coronavirus cases skyrocketing across the city and the state and temperatures dipping.
In June, after just 10 days of patio service, Longman temporarily shut down after a worker tested positive for coronavirus. The restaurant reopened after it was sanitized and the rest of the staff tested negative.
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