What's the shortest timespan a restaurant has been open?

Just looking for a little trivia here. Other than pop-ups, what's the shortest time you've heard of a local restaurant being open? It's gotta be like maybe only a few weeks? I've personally seen ones that had "opening soon" signs, that never did open.

I guess I'll also ask, what's the longest time a local place has been continuously open? I know Berghoff's has been around a long time.

And..... Thanks.

Cantina 1910 was a pretty brief timespan, especially given all the work done to build out the space.

Bunny the Micro Bakery?

If you'd posed this question a couple weeks ago, I would've claimed that Pho Phu Linh in Skokie on Main just east of Skokie Blvd was a very serious contender for shortest run ever.

They were only open for 1 week last summer. I don't have a concrete narrative, just problem after problem (inventory, utilities, etc.). However, ironically, they've reopened (possibly/likely new ownership and cooking team) in the last 2-3 weeks, so I suppose they forfeited their eligibility for this infamous recognition.

Pho Phu Linh
4741 Main St
http://www.phophulinh.com

stevez wrote:Bunny the Micro Bakery?

This would have been my guess. I think it was operational for maybe 2-3 months before they closed and Tadros put in the original Budlong there.

Ethyl's Beer & Wine Dive which took over the old Stanley's on Racine spot has to be a contender here

If you include Northwest Indiana as being "local" then TMIP might take 1st place; only open a week. A shame too; had such an amazing experience there.

adipocere wrote:I guess I'll also ask, what's the longest time a local place has been continuously open? I know Berghoff's has been around a long time.

Technically, the Berghoff might not qualify, since it was closed for a couple of months in 2006. But it's been around since 1898.

Most sources I've seen say that Schaller's Pump in Bridgeport is the oldest restaurant in Chicago, since 1881. Second place goes to Daley's on 63rd, which opened in 1892 to feed workers building the World's Fair. Berghoff is third.

Gonzo70 wrote:If you include Northwest Indiana as being "local" then TMIP might take 1st place; only open a week. A shame too; had such an amazing experience there.

What was TMIP?

Thanks!

Regards,
Cathy2

Cathy2 wrote:What was TMIP?

Health Department Shuts Down Brandon Baltzley's TMIP

=R=

I did a project in Greektown that lasted under 2 wks a couple yrs ago. Note to owners: staff and vendors need to be paid for your doors to remain open. It's your dream, not theirs.

Jazzfood wrote:I did a project in Greektown that lasted under 2 wks a couple yrs ago. Note to owners: staff and vendors need to be paid for your doors to remain open. It's your dream, not theirs.

That was a shame. We liked what we tried but never even got the chance to go once it opened.

We were there (as were a bunch of other LTHers). Food was excellent. Only weird thing was the banquettes along the wall were fairly high up — much higher than the chairs, which made dining a bit awkward.

I believe Schaller's closed last year.

I think the Aloha Poke expansion locations rank high on this list.

chainey wrote:I think the Aloha Poke expansion locations rank high on this list.

Firefin. Aloha's still expanding. Firefin closed up all its locations several days after it it opened their newest one.

Agree with Firefin on Belmont. Time from open to close was about a week.

Does this include online restaurants/catering? Literally saw one open and close within a week down the street from me...

Marija wrote:Agree with Firefin on Belmont. Time from open to close was about a week.

Hard to understand why. The startup and operating costs were a fraction of a typical restaurant's.

bw77 wrote:I believe Schaller's closed last year.

Yeah, it was the oldest bar and restaurant in Chicago, but it closed on April 30, 2017.

Cubano Latin Street Food at like 176 N. Wells lasted shorter than the annoying song still in place on their website

https://www.cubanostreetfood.com/

I don't know about restaurants, but wasn't there a Porn themed bar in Rogers Park called the Money Shot? I remember that lasted less than a month or something?

I cannot believe that was granted a license with that name, to be honest.

Indianbadger wrote:I don't know about restaurants, but wasn't there a Porn themed bar in Rogers Park called the Money Shot? I remember that lasted less than a month or something?

I cannot believe that was granted a license with that name, to be honest.

There was a thread devoted to this topic.

Regards,
Cathy2

There was a thread devoted to this topic.

thanks for wasting (enjoying) a 1/2 hour of my day... great read, really make ya set aside the real world for a few and just have a chuckle...

Isn't there a Money Shot bar in Budlong Woods (Lincoln just north of Foster)?

The bar referred to by Cathy2 was at 5695 N Lincoln.

ekreider wrote:The bar referred to by Cathy2 was at 5695 N Lincoln.

That's the place then. Definitely not Rogers Park.

spinynorman99 wrote:Isn't there a Money Shot bar in Budlong Woods (Lincoln just north of Foster)?

Yes! That was the spot that ran out of fries when I had my one and only lunch there.

Mutz, a hot dog centric stand in Wicker Park on Division St (next to Picante), was open for about 2 weeks last summer. They built a fancy hot dog figure on top of the restaurant too. The figure and signage are still up but the restaurant has been dark for almost 10 months. Every time we walk by, we comment on our surprise that they bothered to invest in the giant hot dog figure on top of the stand, and that it’s still there.

https://m.facebook.com/mutzchicago/

Closure reported here (See August 9): https://chicago.eater.com/2017/8/9/1611 ... sures-2017