Popular Lincoln Square restaurant announces plans to close after 40 years

by NBC-5 Chicago / September 14, 2023

A popular restaurant on Chicago's North Side has announced plans to closed its beloved café after 40 years in business.

Café Selmarie, a staple in the Lincoln Square neighborhood, known for its bakery and restaurant, revealed that it will close in early 2024, just after the establishment celebrated its 40th anniversary this month.

The restaurant's owner and co-founder, Birgit Kobayashi, will retire as the restaurant closes.

“Since my business partner Jeanne passed away in 2017 and long before that, my daughter and Café Selmarie General Manager, Connie has been my rock, my guide, my advisor, supporter, constructive critic, and captain of the ship. Despite having a truly wonderful staff, we find ourselves ready for that new chapter in our lives," Kobayashi said in a statement. “After cooking and baking for decades, it is time to sit down. I want to travel with my husband and have time to indulge in other interests. We have met so many wonderful people over the years and celebrated birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, graduations with them. We witnessed this sleepy northside enclave blossom into the vibrant, lovely Lincoln Square neighborhood at our front door. We are forever thankful to our customers for their support through all these years." Read more HERE