Elgin's Red Bar hosts goodbye party but won't close yet

Jim and Doris Canfield will throw a goodbye party to bid farewell to those who have supported their Elgin restaurant and wine bar since it opened in 2009.

The Red Bar Winery and Bistro owners are still holding out hope for an investor to swoop in and save them from closing but only have until the second week of July for the unlikely miracle.

Jim Canfield said Red Bar will open its doors for the party from 6 p.m. to midnight Friday at 74 S. Grove Ave.

Canfield said he doesn't want to call the goodbye party a closing because if an investor comes in next week, the restaurant and winery could stay open.

“As far as we're concerned the odds are very slim, but there are some odds,” Canfield said.

The owners experienced financial trouble that hit a tipping point when they couldn't renew their liquor license from the state or the City of Elgin.

A delayed application process and temporary closing prompted a steep drop-off in Red Bar's customer base and ultimately sealed the business's fate.

Canfield said he and his wife thought they would be able to keep the business running even without wine sales but functioning with only 10 percent of their normal business traffic did not turn out to be sustainable.

In case Friday's party really does turn out to be the end, the Canfields want to reach out to their customer base.

“We just want to use it as an excuse to say goodbye to everyone,” Canfield said.