The Berghoff in Chicago Closing After 107 Years
For generations, diners with a craving for apple strudel or a stein of cold German beer have sidled up to the bar at the Berghoff Restaurant, which is closing after 107 years in business, its owners announced Wednesday.
“We share the sadness that many feel about the closing of the restaurant,” Herman Berghoff, 70, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Jan, said in a statement.
“It’s been an honor to be part of the fabric of Chicago,” he said, but the couple “feel that now is the right time to start a new chapter in our lives.”
The restaurant’s history is intermingled with Chicago’s. It was such a downtown staple that after Prohibition ended in December 1933, the city issued the Berghoff Liquor License No. 1.
During Prohibition, the business served near beer and soda and became a full-service eatery.
The Berghoff will officially close Feb. 28. The building will be leased to a catering company run by Herman and Jan Berghoff’s daughter.
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