HINSDALE – The Cosi restaurant in downtown Hinsdale train station closed during the week of July 27.
Hinsdale Director of Economic Development Timothy Scott said he was told in early July that the store would be closing. However, the closure came early, according to Scott.
"They ended up closing a week sooner than expected," Scott said.
The "fast-casual" restaurant is known for its flatbread sandwiches, pizzas and salads, but Scott said since Cosi went public in 2002, the company has been having troubles.
A number of the company's nationwide restaurants have closed, as Cosi locations recently dipped from 141 to 115, according to its website. The storefront in downtown Hinsdale opened more than nine years ago, according to Scott.
"We were always escaping any of that bad news," Scott said, explaining that the store's closure was a possibility he has been anticipating for some time.
"I was surprised that they were able to weather the storm for so long," he said.
Scott said he already has a list of about 12 potential businesses that could take over the space at the Hinsdale train station.
He met Tuesday with the Village Manager and the broker who made the Cosi contract to discuss the next steps in filling the space.
The goal is to find a business that caters to the morning commuter crowd, Scott added, something that Cosi was unable to do as they featured more lunch and dinner foods.
"[We want something] for the morning commuter, standing next to the tracks," he said.