Riccardi's Red Hots in Sycamore to close at end of April

SYCAMORE – Riccardi’s Red Hots, which has long catered to the late-night rush crowd in downtown Sycamore, will serve its final bacon egg cheeseburger before the end of the month.

“We’re going to miss the people a lot,” said Sue Riccardi, who runs the restaurant – at 418 W. State St., Sycamore, next to the Sycamore State Theatre – with her husband, Frank, and 31-year-old son, Tony. “We want to say thank you. We loved everybody – well, almost everybody – and we’ve appreciated their business.”

Riccardi’s Red Hots, which started out as a hot dog cart in front of Otto’s Niteclub in DeKalb, has grown to become a downtown staple known for its burgers, hotdogs and it’s “heart-stopper line” of sandwiches.

The restaurant opened in 2008 on the other side of the theater and moved to its existing spot in 2010. From the beginning, Riccardi’s Red Hots has attracted a cult-like following.

“The people that like us – love us,” Tony Riccardi said.

The Riccardis had hoped to keep the restaurant open through August, but the building’s landlord found a tenant to take over the space in May, according to a post on the restaurant’s Facebook page by Frank Riccardi.

“I can think of many things to say, but friendship means more to me, so I will not, rather I will say good luck and be healthy to all involved,” Frank Riccardi said in the post.

Since the announcement, more and more customers have come out to eat at the restaurant.

“Business has almost tripled in the last week,” Tony Riccardi said. “Everyone wants to get Riccardi’s one more time.”

Tony Riccardi said he had considered taking the business over from his parents, but didn’t have the capital needed to keep it going.

“I love serving good food,” he said. “It’s great to see how much people appreciate what we do.”

Closing will be bittersweet, he said.

“It wasn’t an easy decision for them,” Tony Riccardi said of his parents’ decision.

Sue and Frank Riccardi don’t have concrete plans for retirement, but will focus on living healthy, Sue Riccardi said.

She expects the business to close a few days before the end of April, but the final day of operation hasn’t been decided.