Clucker's Charcoal Chicken closing Libertyville restaurant to concentrate on takeout business

A familiar restaurant in downtown Libertyville is closing - but not because of lack of business.

"It's been a great run," said Reed Merdinger, co-owner of Clucker's Charcoal Chicken, which opened at 536 N. Milwaukee Ave. in early 2015. "We're a busy restaurant - it's managing resources."

Merdinger said it was decided about two years ago that company growth would be in the to-go part of the business.

The Libertyville store will close effective Jan. 29. A full-service Clucker's that opened in Highwood in 2015 and Clucker's TO GO that opened in 2021 in Wilmette will continue operations. Libertyville employees will have the opportunity to work at those locations.

Clucker's is expanding its catering options and has launched the "Cluck Truck" food truck, which will be traveling to farmers markets and other events in the North Shore and beyond. Two delivery cars also will be on the road.

"We'll continue to deliver out of Highwood to Libertyville and Vernon Hills," Merdinger said.

Since opening in Highwood, the business has been about 80% pick up and delivery, Merdinger said. The Wilmette operation is about 1,100 square feet with no seating and has had "really good turnout," he said.

The Libertyville site seats about 30 and is about 2,500 square feet.

"The rent is structured so that it's hard to make a go unless you have a full-service restaurant," he said.

Merdinger said Clucker's had great support from schools and churches and hopes to continue serving customers in the Libertyville area in a different fashion.

"It's not like we're a restaurant of failure closing shop. We're just being good, smart operators and utilizing our resources the right way," he added.

Clucker's specializes in hormone-free chicken served with scratch-made family recipes. Merdinger said the chickens he uses are raised on farms in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the lump-wood charcoal is from Mexico.

"We pay a premium for it, but you can taste it," he said.

Since the coronavirus pandemic, restaurants have experienced higher rents, labor and food costs. Though prices have dropped in the past month, Merdinger said he was paying $75 for a case of lettuce that had cost $20, and a case of chicken breasts that had been $45 now runs $151.

"You have to look at the big picture of this whole thing and say, 'What makes sense?'" Merdinger said.

Merdinger said the original Clucker's opened on Clark Street in Chicago in 1985, and a second location in Wheeling followed. But Merdinger said he sold them to start a 13-year stint as an executive with Levy Restaurants.

"If we grow, it will be in the Clucker's to-go concept," he said.