UKRAINIAN VILLAGE — A breakfast and lunch restaurant that’s been in business in Ukrainian Village for almost 20 years has reopened after temporarily closing in the spring.
Sunrise Cafe, 2012 W. Chicago Ave., has long been a go-to for breakfast and brunch in the neighborhood, serving up skillets, omelets and Mexican staples such as chilaquiles. But the restaurant temporarily closed in May when the owners had trouble finding enough employees to say open, general manager Bert Johnson said.
Restaurants in Chicago and across the country have struggled over the past year to find and keep staff.
“The main reason was the staffing shortage that was going around at the time. It was really hard to find a qualified breakfast cook because breakfast is a little more, a little tricky, a little complicated,” Johnson said.
The restaurant closed for the summer and early fall, but several new employees have been hired, allowing Sunrise to reopen.
“All of a sudden, I guess when the patio season kind of closed up, there was an influx of new people coming in,” Johnson said.
Johnson said business has been pretty good, with customers slowly finding their way back through word of mouth and social media. That includes a couple who drove in all the way from Arlington Heights in the suburbs, he said.
“They were on our Facebook page. So they saw it and they came in this last weekend. They used to live here in this area, and this was their favorite breakfast place,” he said.
Sunrise Cafe is open 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. daily except Wednesdays.
Support Local News!
Subscribe to Block Club Chicago, an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods. Already subscribe? Click here to gift a subscription, or you can support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.
Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast:
