Charlie Trotter To Close Iconic Chicago Restaurant After 25-Years Of Successful Business

Charlie Trotter has decided to close his iconic Chicago landmark restaurant after 25 years in business.

Located on Armitage the restaurant according to it’s owner has always been profital, however he wants to take a “sabbatical” so he can travel the world with his wife and then go back to school where he plans to earn degrees in philosophy and political theory. According to Trotter he has already been accepted into two graduate programs in Chicago and another in California.

Fans of Trotter’s food need not worry once his master’s degree is finished he plans to open a new restaurant, although what type of cuisine he will serve has not yet been revealed.

Trotter still owns the adjoining buildings at 816 W. Armitage which house the 120-seat venue and his studio kitchen. Trotter’s To Go, the chef’s takeout location at 1337 W. Fullerton will remain open for business during his sabbatical.

Speaking to the Chicago Sun Times he noted:

“We’ve always been profitable, that’s for sure,” he said. “We’ve certainly slowed down like a lot of high-end restaurants, but we’ve always been able to make money. We’ve always been busy.

“I just had to put the flag in the sand and say I’ve got to go for this; otherwise, I never will. If I don’t go for something while I’m in the prime of my life and I have the means to do it, well, why wouldn’t I?”

Plans for the closing were announced at Trotter’s $295 walk-around on New Year’s Even, an event in which guests can take part in all the fine dining they desire, including a caviar station.

With the closing 60 full-time employees will lose their jobs.

With the closing will mark the end of a restaurant that helped teach and nurture some of the best young chefs in the Chicago land area.

After several failed restaurants in Las Vegas closed their doors after two years in service Trotter said closing now after a quarter century would be like leaving on top.

In the meantime Trotter will keep the restaurant open for the next eight months in which a special dinner may be hard to come by as fans of his restaurant flock to the location for one last Trotter created meal.

The final day of service will happen on Aug. 31, 2012.

Are you a fan of Charlie Trotter’s? Will you be sad to see Charlie close the doors on August 31?