City Works restaurant in Wheeling has closed permanently

One of the original businesses in Wheeling's Town Center shopping center has closed its doors for good.

City Works, 365 W. Dundee Road, served its last meal Sunday.

"With a heavy heart, we announce the closure of our City Works restaurant in Wheeling," a note on the restaurant's website says. "We're proud to have served this community and appreciate everyone's patronage."

A similar note was attached to the restaurant's front door on Monday.

City Works is owned by Chicago-based Bottleneck Management, and others operate in Schaumburg, Vernon Hills and elsewhere. The Wheeling restaurant is the only one closing, company president Mark Gray said through a spokeswoman Monday.

Gray cited "the challenges presented in the current environment" as a reason for closing the Wheeling spot.

The Wheeling City Works opened in August 2019. It was viewed as one of the anchors of the Town Center complex, which includes other restaurants and businesses, a movie theater and an apartment building.

But the COVID-19 pandemic began just months later, and the resulting forced closure of dine-in restaurants and continued avoidance of public dining by some people badly hurt the industry.

Wheeling Village Manager Jon Sfondilis said City Works' closing "has been looming for quite some time."

Sfondilis said village officials will pursue leads to help get the space filled by a different business.

"(We are) confident that this premier development will quickly attract another top-notch user," Sfondilis said.