HYDE PARK — Jade Court, a Chinese restaurant in Hyde Park’s Harper Court development, will close in February after three years in the neighborhood.
The third iteration of the Cantonese eatery, 1516 E. Harper Court, opened in November 2020 to an outpouring of support from customers old and new.
But after years of navigating the pandemic — as well as inflation, periods of slow foot traffic, labor shortages and other struggles — now is “the right time to transition and focus on other projects,” owner Carol Cheung said Monday.
Jade Court’s last day is set for Feb. 29, as first reported by NBC5’s Steve Dolinsky.
“We love Hyde Park and appreciate the three wonderful years we’ve enjoyed in the neighborhood,” Cheung said in a statement. “It’s difficult to leave behind a restaurant and community we value so greatly, but are grateful for the experience and excited for new ventures.”
Cheung could not be reached for further comment.
Jade Court shares its name with the first restaurant Cheung’s father, Eddy Cheung, opened in Toronto in the ’70s. Its second location, on Racine Avenue, opened in 2016 and closed in 2019 after Eddy Cheung died at the age of 69.
Carol Cheung always intended to reopen Jade Court after her father’s death, she said in 2020.
Harper Court was chosen to host the revival given Cheung’s connections in Hyde Park, as University of Chicago faculty and administrators were longtime customers at Phoenix Restaurant, also owned by the Cheungs, and followed the family to Jade Court’s location on Racine, Cheung said.
Cheung’s partner, Adrian Race, was essential to opening the Hyde Park location, as Race put his own career on hold to help at “every step from planning to buildout,” Cheung said.
“We would like to thank the community and the University [of Chicago] for all their support. [We] have made many great friends here and are sad to leave,” Cheung said this week.
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