'It's very sad': Naperville restaurant that employs people with special needs will soon close

Thi Tram Nguyen's emotions have run the gamut.

She's been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support since she announced Chez Francois Poutinerie - the downtown Naperville restaurant dedicated to providing employment opportunities to people with special needs - is closing on Aug. 25 due to financial reasons.

Mostly, though, she's sad about no longer operating the establishment named after her 18-year-old son, Francois, who has autism.

"It's very sad," Nguyen said. "I've been crying the last two weeks."

Nguyen opened Chez Francois Poutinerie in July 2022 with a dual mission.

First, she wanted to expose Naperville and the surrounding area to poutine, which is a dish from the Canadian province of Quebec typically consisting of french fries, cheese curds and hot gravy.

More important to Nguyen was the second part of the mission - training people with special needs in different skills so they can find jobs.

Chez Francois Poutinerie employed six people with special needs, and Nguyen was training 20 others. She said a Greek restaurant is moving into her location at 22 East Chicago Ave., and the owner has agreed to hire the six employees.

Nguyen said she's working to place 18 of the trainees. She's already found jobs for two at a dentist's office.

"The food, the mission, the employees ... everything was great," Nguyen said. "But every month, my husband and I had to put in three-to-five thousand dollars just to break even."

Even though the restaurant is closing, Nguyen said she'll continue advocating for people with special needs through her Friends of Francois nonprofit group. All the Chez Francois Poutinerie social media accounts will be switched to Friends of Francois.

"I have no regrets," Nguyen said. "I'll only have good memories about this experience."