← Back to Chicago's Lost Restaurants
Visualizing 80+ Years of Culinary History
Explore the data behind Chicago's restaurant scene - from post-war supper clubs to modern closures. See when different cuisines rose and fell, which neighborhoods lost the most, and what the trends tell us about the city's evolving palate.
Closures by decade reveal economic patterns and changing tastes
The cuisines that defined Chicago's restaurant landscape
Neighborhood-by-neighborhood breakdown of closures
Restaurant lifespan by cuisine type and era
Restaurant data compiled from Chicago Tribune archives, Chicago History Museum records, Forgotten Chicago, local historical societies, and community contributions.
Closure years verified through newspaper archives, business records, and Yelp/Google historical data where available.
Tools: JavaScript, Supabase, Custom CSS Charts | Last Updated: December 2025
See the stories behind the data - photos, memories, and the history of each restaurant.
View Restaurant Collection