ANDERSONVILLE — A "well-known restaurateur" is in negotiations to fill a vacancy left by Kingfisher Restaurant, which closed in 2011, according to officials.
Laryssa Moros, a commercial real estate agent with Jos. Cacciatore & Co. Real Estate, which is handling the potential transaction, said lease negotiations for the nearly 3,700-square-foot property at 5721 N. Clark St., are "pretty much done."
Moros also said a contract should be signed by next week.
She refused to name the restaurant owners or even describe the type of food they would sell.
“I can't say a word until the lease is signed," Moros said Wednesday.
Dan Luna, chief of staff to Ald. Harry Osterman (48th), said a "well-known restaurateur" would soon be opening at the location, 5721 N. Clark St., and that Osterman “was doing cartwheels,” about it.
But as of about two weeks ago, the mystery owners still had a few issues to iron out in negotiations and asked Osterman not to announce anything until the deal was sealed, Luna said Wednesday. Luna added the owners had not decided on a type of food or theme for the restaurant as of two weeks ago.
Moros would not confirm that the owners of the potential new restaurant are “well known,” as Luna said.
Moros did say: "Let's put it this way: It's definitely a group that knows what they're doing.”
Officials with the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce and Andersonville Development Corp. confirmed negotiations were under way but said they did not have details about the potential owners.
One official said Fontana Grill, an Uptown restaurant that closed this winter, had been in conversations with an agent about leasing the space — but that negotiations ended without an agreement.
In February, one of the owners of the restaurant told DNAinfo.com Chicago that he was "99 percent" sure Fontana Grill would move to Andersonville in a month or so.
The owners of Fontana Grill were not immediately reachable for comment.
Contributing: Benjamin Woodard
