Overview

• The restaurant unexpectedly locked its doors on June 18, catching diners off guard as the kitchen shut earlier than posted closing time.
• Karzas attributed the permanent shutdown to chronic staffing shortages that proved unsustainable despite steady business.
• Industry factors such as the elimination of the tip credit and heightened ICE workplace raids have deepened labor challenges across Chicago’s restaurant sector.
• Gale Street Inn announced its closure via Instagram, thanking current and former staff, guests and vendors for their support over six decades.
• Community members and the Illinois Restaurant Association warned that the loss of long-standing eateries like Gale Street Inn could foreshadow further declines in Chicago’s independent dining scene.