Downtown Plainfield sees restaurants closing, but plans for new ones in the works

The new year has brought about several closures to the downtown Plainfield restaurants scene.

However, village officials are confident that new concepts will be reopening in their places.

The Opera House Steak and Seafood and the adjoining Irish Tyme Pub, which share the same owner and location, both took to Facebook recently to express their gratitude to their customers and staff as they announced they are closing on Jan. 20.

The announcement was followed with comments and sad emojis from restaurant goers who visited each business.

The Opera House Steak and Seafood and the Irish Tyme Pub each had been in business on Lockport Street in downtown Plainfield for nine and three years, respectively, and were located in the historic Clock Tower Building.

In addition, the Tap House Grill, which is located further west on Lockport Street and underwent a renovation last year, abruptly shut its doors.

However, according to its Instagram page, it is once again temporarily closed for renovations – something Plainfield Mayor John Argoudelis confirmed.

Although, the restaurant business is tough, he added, “each situation is unique.”

“The landowner of the Opera House building is seeking to sell the building and wanted to have the building open for a potential owner occupant. It was a mutual termination of the lease,” Mayor Argoudelis said.

“It is a great venue and I am sure it won’t be open for too long,” he added.

Likewise, Argoudelis said, ”There is something new coming to the Tap House Grill location. This also was a mutual agreement between the restaurant operator and the landlord to end the lease and a new concept restaurant is coming in.”

Before Tap House shut down, Argoudelis said, “They were already working on the new concept.”

He noted that the timing may have more to do with letting the restaurants stay open during the holiday season – often the busiest time of year for restaurants – rather than a downward trend due to slow business.

January tends to be a slower time for restaurants, which likely was a better time to make the changes, Argoudelis said.

Noting that there is demand from businesses interested in opening in downtown Plainfield, these closures are not a sign of failed businesses, he said, but rather the circumstance of a couple of different owners deciding they want to go into different directions.

One sign of new businesses coming to downtown Plainfield, Altiro Latin Fusion which has three other locations in Aurora, Geneva, and Wheaton will open in February on Des Plaines St., in the former location of Front Street Cantina and Glory Days Bar and Grill, he said.