advertisement

Ye Olde Town Inn in Mt. Prospect abruptly closes

Just months after receiving a $6.5 million settlement from the village of Mount Prospect, the owner of longtime downtown dining staple Ye Olde Town Inn abruptly closed the business Sunday.

Former employees said Monday there was no notice given before the restaurant closed its doors for good.

“Due to personal interest and family concerns, Ye Olde Town Inn is closed,” owner Tod Curtis said in a statement faxed to the Daily Herald on Monday. “I want to thank all of my loyal customers, friends and supporters for the past 46 years.” Curtis, who declined further comment, operated the pizza restaurant and bar at 18 W. Busse Ave. for nearly half a century.

In August, he received $6.5 million to settle his 2008 federal racketeering lawsuit alleging that village officials and a local development company conspired to seize his land and redevelop the area without him.

Curtis at the time said he had no plans to close the restaurant and hoped to make pizzas for many more years. But patrons and employees found out he changed his mind when the business shut its doors with no notice Sunday.

Patrick Chidley, who worked at the business for several years, said people started noticing something strange on Saturday night, the last night the bar was open.

“He hadn't ordered liquor or beer or food in a few weeks and hadn't told anyone anything,” Chidley said.

“It kind of seems like he's taking the money and running. I honestly can't blame the guy for it,” he added. “I'm just upset about the way he did it. It's almost like a slap in the face to all these people who worked for him all these years.”

Other former employees and patrons shared their unhappiness with the news Monday.

“It's really disgusting,” said former employee Sonya Hill of Mount Prospect. “It's two weeks before the holiday and a lot of these people are single parents trying to make ends meet. We were all with him during his hard times, but he didn't give anyone a heads up to look for a new job.”

Hill said the regular patrons were like a family, celebrating birthdays, baby showers and other life events together.

“I'm rather heartbroken to be honest,” said Mitch Munster, who spent his 21st birthday at Ye Olde Town Inn nearly two decades ago and frequently bought CDs from bands who performed there. “It was a great place for us rock-and-roll types to go in this town.” James Genenz, who booked acts for Ye Olde Town Inn for more than 10 years, said he also had no notice of the closing and had bands scheduled through March that he will need to set up new gigs for elsewhere.

One of those bands was Paranoid Justice, a Metallica and Black Sabbath tribute band that has played at the Inn in the past and was in talks to do a show sometime in January, said band member Steve Miles.

“It's a huge blow to the local music scene and to everyone who went there as a hangout,” Miles said. “There was a very big underground music scene going on there.”

Mount Prospect has been hoping to redevelop the area known as the “Triangle” since the 1990s. In 2007, before Curtis' lawsuit, the village sought to take his property via eminent domain as part of its downtown redevelopment efforts. Officials abandoned the attempt in 2010 as real estate values plummeted.

Bill Cooney, Mount Prospect community development director, said he had not heard from Curtis on Monday and couldn't comment. Even if the business closed, Cooney said Curtis may still own the property, so the village may not have a say in what happens next at that corner.

Future of Mt. Prospect 'triangle' still an open question

Mount Prospect settles with Ye Olde Town Inn for $6.5 million

How Ye Old Town Inn owner fought suburb, won millions

Ye Olde Town Inn payout won't raise inusrance rates much, official says

  Tod Curtis, who owned and operated Ye Olde Town Inn in Mount Prospect for 46 years, suddenly closed the downtown eatery on Sunday. Curtis, who recently received a $6.5 million settlement from the village, cited "personal interest and family concerns" for his decision to close. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com, August 2014
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.