LINCOLN SQUARE — The owner of Lincoln Square Taproom is taking over the Café Selmarie space once the beloved cafe closes this month, the owners told Block Club on Monday.
Andrew Pillman, owner of Lincoln Square Taproom, 4721 N. Lincoln Ave., confirmed to Block Club he’s taking over Café Selmarie’s location at 4729 N. Lincoln Ave. He declined to comment further because he said the news was cafe owner Birgit Kobayashi’s to share.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Kobayashi and Pillman confirmed Selmarie is closing at the end of April.
The assets and lease have been sold to Pillman, who plans to open Willow Café & Bistro in the space. The sale does not include the Café Selmarie name and recipes.
“Cafe Selmarie is a beloved part of Lincoln Square’s culture and history, so we feel honored to have the opportunity to carry on its tradition of great food and hospitality while creating our own unique restaurant,” Pillman said in a statement. “Once we begin operating as Willow Café & Bistro, we’re hoping to retain some of the same sense of community. We’re looking forward to what’s ahead!”
Eater was first to report the news.
Pillman took over the former Huettenbar in 2021, reopening it as Lincoln Square Taproom. It’s part of the Neighborhood Taprooms group, which includes the Rogers Park Taproom and Coffeehouse, Lakeview Taproom and Coffeehouse, and Uptown Taproom.
Kobayashi announced in September she planned to retire and close her popular restaurant in Giddings Plaza in early 2024 to begin a “new chapter” in her life.
Kobayashi made the announcement around the 40th anniversary of the business she and late co-founder Jeanne Uzdawinis opened when they were both 29.
The name comes from the founders’ middle names: Birgit Selma and Jeanne Marie.
“We were inspired by European cafés and coffee houses,” Kobayashi said in a statement. “We wanted fresh food, made with the best ingredients, served in a warm and inviting setting. While it is bittersweet to be closing Café Selmarie, we are delighted to know that this space will continue to be a place for the community to come enjoy coffee, soup and a great sandwich.”
Starting in a small storefront facing Giddings Plaza, Kobayashi and Uzdawinis sold coffee and homemade pastries, and had the first espresso machine in the neighborhood.
As the business became more popular, the founders broadened the menu and added seating. Over the years, the founders expanded into its current space facing Lincoln Avenue.
For decades, the café has been the anchor of Lincoln Square, drawing loyal customers to enjoy cozy meals, weekend brunch, and its wide selection of pastries, cakes, tortes and pies.
Uzdawinis died from ovarian cancer in 2017. Neighbors remembered her “grace and artistry” and called her the “heart of Lincoln Square.”
“We witnessed this sleepy North Side enclave blossom into the vibrant, lovely Lincoln Square neighborhood at our front door. We are forever thankful to our customers for their support through all these years,” Kobayashi said in a statement.
Kobayashi told Block Club in September some of her post-retirement plans includes a visit to Japan with her grandchildren, who are in their early 20s and late teens.
Her husband is from Japan and still has childhood friends who live there, she said.
“One of our big things for next year is to travel to Japan for more than just a week and really hang out. Give him a chance to hang out with his friends,” Kobayashi said. “I lived in Japan for a year and a half when we were first married. It’s like a second home to me, and I missed that.”
Closing the business will let her return to places in Japan she saw as a newlywed and visit places she didn’t have time to see because of the demands of running a business, she said.
“I’ve had such a wonderful product run here, and the difficult part is leaving this life behind,” she said.
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