Sloopin's Top Stories of 2013 #3) Panozzo's Closes; Evaluating Options

Over the past year a ton has happened in the South Loop.  Since there are a few Monday's left in the year, we thought we would count down the top 5 stories on Sloopin in 2013 according to Google Analytics.

As we stated last Monday, it wasn't all roses for South Loop retail.

Back on October 24th we posted about Panozzo's, the much beloved Italian Market, unexpectedly closing.

It's been a slightly odd year for Panozzo's (1303 S. Michigan).  Back in February, a reader questioned if the market was under new ownership.  While some changes were imminent, ownership remained the same.

Then in September, we got a note from Mike Panozzo, the owner, notifying us of a renovation.  If you look inside the restaurant now you will no doubt notice a slightly modified interior.

But then in October, the sign appeared on the door and Mike sent us a note:

Today we posted a sign in the front door of Panozzo's telling customers that we are closed for the time being while we evaluate our options going forward. We're looking at every scenario possible in hopes that the store will re-open in some form. It has been a difficult time, although I believe the quality of our product and services always remained top notch. 

We made many changes, some more dramatic than others, but all we felt were necessary. We are fighting as hard as humanly possible because we love what we do and we love the South Loop. We believe independent businesses are what give a neighborhood its character, and we like to believe we are an important piece of that equation. We appreciate everyone's patience and understanding. We'll keep you posted.  

Mike Panozzo

So while the door is currently closed, we remain hopeful that this isn't the end of Panozzo's.  Best of luck and hope to see you back in the Sloop soon!