CHICAGO (CBS) — Fiesta Mexicana Restaurant, a fixture in the Uptown neighborhood for 45 years, announced Tuesday that it is going out of business.
The restaurant, at 4806 N. Broadway, has announced it will close its doors for good on Friday, December 20.
“The decision to close our doors after 45 years comes with a heavy heart,” Fiesta Mexicana owners Tania, Vincenzo and Maritza D’Agostino wrote in a social media post. “This difficult decision was made due to the challenges posed by COVID-19 and increased changes over the past 24 months.”
Fiesta Mexicana was founded by Peruvian immigrant Lucy Matthew and opened in 1979.
As Eater.com recalled in a 2016 story, the restaurant became a favorite among families and the late-night crowd alike, who enjoyed Mariachi bands and other entertainment in addition to the food.
“It was a privilege to serve you, new and old guests. It was an honor to see you come in as children with your parents and to now see you come in as adults with your own families,” the owners wrote. “You have become part of our Fiesta family and we are humbled to have been part of yours.”
When Fiesta Mexicana opened, the Uptown Theater was still a strong concert venue – in 1979 alone it hosted Rod Steward, the Allman Brothers Band, Bob Marley and The Wailers, Santana and The Grateful Dead. The former Vaudeville and movie palace closed in 1981 and remains closed and frozen in time, despite ongoing efforts to restore and reopen it.
Fiesta Mexicana is also located in the same building as the Green Mill jazz club, a Chicago classic that has been drawing packed houses for its jazz concerts and swing dance nights for decades. Two other iconic concert halls – the Riviera Theater and the Aragon Ballroom – are located across Lawrence Avenue and Broadway, respectively.
A second Fiesta Mexicana location — at 2423 N. Lincoln Ave., just northwest of the six-way intersection with Halsted Street and Fullerton Avenue in Lincoln Park — opened in 1985 and closed in 2019. Founder Matthew died in 2016.
