Ram Restaurant & Brewery in Wheeling permanently closed

Ram Restaurant & Brewery in Wheeling, a staple of the village's Restaurant Row, has closed.

Village officials confirmed Wednesday that the restaurant at 700 N. Milwaukee Ave. permanently closed this week, after initially telling customers a week ago that it had closed temporarily for maintenance.

The Washington-based chain closed its Schaumburg location in October. Ram Restaurant & Brewery in Rosemont remains open.

The company did not return a phone call for comment Wednesday.

John Melaniphy, Wheeling's economic development director, said ownership of the nationwide chain cited the large size and age of the facility, sales productivity and changing dining patterns, including increasing food delivery options, as reasons for the closure.

The village immediately began looking for new tenants to occupy the restaurant space, Melaniphy said. A microbrewery concept is a potential option because the building already has the infrastructure for brewing, he added.

“It's a category that's seen a considerable amount of growth,” Melaniphy said. “That would be an avenue that we would like to explore, but maybe that category is overgrown. We'll soon find out.”