LAKEVIEW — Mercury Theater Chicago said Friday its next-door restaurant and tenant, Cullen's Bar & Grill, will close its doors after the theater claimed Cullen's violated its lease agreement.
The theater, located in the Southport Corridor at 3745 N. Southport Ave., announced the closure Friday afternoon, effective immediately.
"An agreement was negotiated and signed allowing Cullen's to extend their lease. The agreement included paying five months of past-due rent," the theater said in a statement. "Cullen's Bar and Grill did not pay the past-due rent, and the agreement was broken."
The restaurant did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but it did address the situation in its Facebook page.
"Cullen's family, we are trying to come to grips with this and will send out a response soon," the restaurant said. "For tonight, stay warm and toast Cullen's!"
The restaurant was named for Mercury Theater former owner Michael Cullen, who purchased the building in 1994. The theater said Friday it will "continue to honor the legacy of Michael Cullen by bringing people together in celebration of the performing and culinary arts."
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