Julius Meinl Permanently Shutters North Center Location

By Stephen Gossett in Food on Apr 3, 2017 9:49PM

Photo via Instagram.

We really, truly hate to say we told you so.

Julius Meinl, the popular Austria-based coffee shop, has closed its once-beloved location at Lincoln and Montrose Aves, in North Center.

The official closure, which was first reported by DNAinfo, came out of the blue on Monday morning, as would-be customers were greeted by locked doors and signs that informed of the permanent shuttering. But in another sense, it was perhaps to be expected. The North Center location experimented with an ill-advised "fast-casual" concept, which sacrificed all of the cafe's Old World European charms, a move that followed a rudderless menu revamp—and subsequent do-over. The moves appear even more in retrospect to be symptoms of throw-and-hope-it-sticks financial distress. The location was in business for nine years, according to the closure notice.

The good news is that the other three Chicago locations are still in business. Julius Meinl has two coffee bars in the city, in Ravenswood and Streeterville, plus one coffeehouse, on Southport Ave., near the Lakeview/Wrigleyville border.

Julius Meinl did not immediately return a request for comment, but a spokesperson told DNAinfo that the focus will be on its remaining locations and wholesale operation; that employees would have the opportunity to move to one of the other Julius Meinel; and the company would consider opening outposts in other neighborhoods.