Grumpy Goat Tavern closes permanently in Elgin

The Grumpy Goat Tavern in Elgin has permanently closed due to financial strain during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Owner Greg Shannon announced Friday on Facebook that he and his wife Lou Gramm made "with a very heavy heart" the decision to close the restaurant at 875 Sports Way, in the clubhouse of the Highlands of Elgin golf course owned by the city.

Grumpy Goat Tavern opened five years ago with a menu of Cajun and Creole fare plus tavern standards like burgers. The couple also own the Elgin Public House, a mainstay in downtown Elgin since 2007.

"It was a wonderful run. Working with the city of Elgin was an absolute pleasure. In these difficult times we decide that it was most important to keep Elgin Public House going," Shannon wrote, thanking his employees and customers.

The Grumpy Goat always reduced its operations during winter, when the golf course closes. It closed in March because it would have been difficult to provide curbside pickup for customers during the pandemic, Shannon said.

The decision to close permanently came after the state extended the "stay at home" order to May 30, he said.

Under the lease expiring Dec. 31, Shannon paid the city $4,500 in monthly rent and 2% of gross annual sales over $1.5 million, which he nearly hit two years ago, he said.

Elgin Mayor David Kaptain said the city will be lenient with the lease wrap-up. "It was a nice amenity," he said. "It's just part of the situation we're going through and hopefully we don't see a lot more."

Meanwhile, Shannon and his wife are working to keep the Elgin Public House running, though they had to lay off 62 people, including 25 who worked at Grumpy Goat, he said.

The Elgin Public House offers curbside pickup of food and alcohol, "cook at home" steaks and burger packages, and "mix at home" kits for cocktails. "We are doing everything we possibly can to keep it exciting," Shannon said.

People have been asking if the Grumpy Goat's signature dishes will appear on the menu at the Elgin Public House, Shannon said, but that's not entirely possible because the two kitchens are set up differently. "We have had the jambalaya on the menu for 12 years, though," he said.