GOLD COAST — As Tavern on Rush welcomed its last dinner crowd Wednesday before closing permanently, owner Phil Stefani left faithful customers with two words: “Stay tuned.”
Stefani previously said that if he could find the right space to reopen Tavern on Rush, he would — but he revealed few details beyond his cryptic words Wednesday.
The iconic Gold Coast restaurant closed Wednesday night after 25 years on Rush Street in the Viagra Triangle. The restaurant was originally set to close after Dec. 31, but those plans were foiled last week after the restaurant failed to extend its management contract beyond Oct. 31, Stefani said in a letter on the restaurant’s website.
Instead, regulars spent this week celebrating the bar and restaurant’s final days, with people piling in Monday for the last Ladies Night and Louboutin raffle. A standing-room-only crowd descended on the restaurant’s bar Wednesday night, with reservations in the dining room completely booked.
“Restaurants are bricks and mortar, but the staff is the one that makes it,” Stefani said Wednesday as the restaurant closed. “To all my customers these past 25 years, you have made Tavern on Rush.”
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Tavern on Rush opened in 1998 and quickly became a hot spot with local celebrities. Over its tenure, it employed 4,000 people and served more than 8 million guests, Stefani said. Some of the original staff was still working at the restaurant 25 years later, he said.
“In the 25 years, we created a great history. It was a great vibe,” Stefani said earlier. “Every restaurant has its little niche. I think that the niche there was a meeting place where people want to be seen and also where people like to see.
“I appreciate every moment of it. I appreciate the staff that I have and the staff who made it possible.”
The steakhouse and bar was slated to close Jan. 1 because its lease was ending, but owners announced earlier this month that it was close earlier than expected after the restaurant failed to extend its management contract.
Faithful customers this week said they will miss the “impeccable staff,” with many saying they have some of their best memories at Tavern on Rush.
Glenn Ventura, a Tavern on Rush regular since it opened in 1998, said Tavern on Rush had a vibe “that very few people could do in the country.”
Decked out in a light blue crushed velvet blazer and white trousers, Ventura, a 65-year-old social butterfly, said his friends joke that Tavern on Rush was his “office,” he said.
“Every day here is a special day,” he said.
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