Hackney's in Lake Zurich to close Sunday
The last hamburgers on dark-rye bread and signature onion ring loaves will be served at the Lake Zurich Hackney's Sunday before it closes for the final time.
After nearly 48 years in Lake Zurich, the owner is retiring and closing the restaurant on Rand Road.
Owner Ed Masterson did not wish to talk Tuesday about the restaurant that he has run for nearly five decades.
The restaurant's closing has been discussed over the past couple of years when Masterson put the 11-acre property up for sale. Developers came in with plans for a large gas station last year and an apartment-retail mix prior to that. Both deals fell through.
While the community knew the restaurant closing was near, it's still tough to say goodbye.
"It's breaking my heart," said Karen Meeks, who grew up with the Masterson family in Glenview. Meeks, who now resides in Antioch, said her mother worked at the original Glenview Hackney's. Meeks, who has stayed in touch with the family over the years, said, "It's like a piece of my childhood is buried," when she heard of this weekend's closing.
Lake Zurich Mayor Tom Poynton said, "I'm extremely disappointed they are closing. I understand the owner is retiring." He said village officials have reached out to see what they could do to help.
Masterson's sister, Sally Landri, who owns other Hackney's locations with two other siblings, said, "Ed is ready to retire. He and (his wife) Donna have dedicated their lives to the business and the community. Now they have grandchildren."
Landri said it's an emotional time. "It feels sad, " she said, adding that she will be in Lake Zurich assisting with operations during the last weekend.
Meanwhile, Poynton is not aware of a plan for the property. He says he is hoping for something that fits in with the area, possibly utilizing the lakefront property across the street.
Hackney's history in the North and Northwest suburbs dates back more than 90 years when Jack Hackney and his wife Bebe served hamburgers and beer on the back porch of their house in Glenview during Prohibition, according to a company history.
Masterson's late parents, Jim and Marcella, then started Hackney's on Harms Road in Glenview in 1939.
The family brought its Hackneyburgers to Lake Zurich in 1969. The Lake Zurich location has a distinctive alpine motif inside and out, accommodating 200 patrons in the main dining room and about 160 on screened-in and outdoor patios.
A location in Wheeling operated for about 45 years before closing in 2011.
Restaurants continue to operate on Harms and on Lake Street in Glenview, as well as in Palos Park.
The family is renovating and changing the name of its Chicago location, Hackney's in Printer's Row, at 733 S. Dearborn St.
To be called Hax, the eatery is expected to reopen within the month and will cater to a younger crowd. "It will be quick, more of a fast-casual location," Landri said.