CHICAGO — The city’s only Aurelio’s Pizza location will be closing.
Employees confirmed news of the closing to WGN News Monday.
On Tuesday, the restaurant chain issued a statement to WGN News that confirmed the news, “After serving the South Loop community and visitors from around the world for the past decade, we will be closing our location at 1212 S. Michigan Ave in May when our current lease ends,” the statement began.
Owners say they are tentatively scheduled to close mid May.
I’m not going to overreact to this news because there’s 35 locations across 5 states including the classic and original in Flossmoor.
But at the same time I’d be remiss not to point out that Aurelio’s South Loop was one of the only bars even remotely in play for a Bears home game. And while debatable quality, please understand it had full 270 degree walk-up bar service, clean bathrooms and fast pizza turnaround. Many a-times have I left Soldier Field and walked right to Aurelio’s for my first piss and a quick beer before my next location.
It was a great pit stop on that journey and I think the closest remaining bar to Soldier once Kroll’s closed on 18th.
Here’s the walk from Soldier at just 0.7 miles
You could go 18th street bridge too and take it up Michigan if you wanted to avoid the museum campus crowd. It’s an extra couple blocks and not nearly as scenic. Still a solid a option though.
And with the closing, there are just a few South Loop places to get a cold beer and that’s sad news. I spent about 5 years living in the South Loop and it was by far my favorite neighborhood TO LIVE in the 15 years I spent downtown.
And that includes some famous neighborhoods:
- Lincoln Park at Armitage/Sheffield next to the hardware store that sells green eggs in the flat with the putting green.
- Roscoe Village about a block from Four Moon Tavern and the Paulina Brown Line
- Wrigleyville age 24 in a duplex with 3 other Illinois baseball players serving as the #1 pregame/postgame destination for our group of friends
- 1st floor of a house across the street from La Scarola off Grand with full backyard and a tree. Something out of a Joseph Gordon Levitt movie.
- Lakeview artist loft that I subleased from a sculptor that left a lot of modern furniture and thus made me look like the most cultured person you’ve ever met in your life
- A Lincoln Park apartment that was custom designed by the founder of The Every Girl because I was rooming with her boyfriend (now husband) and she was doing features on the blog about how to make the most out of awful apartments, or something like that. Next thing you know we’ve got a gallery accent wall and a chandelier and all this crazy shit.
Of all neighborhoods and locations, nothing beat South Loop pre-Covid. There was so much more hustle and bustle. Especially working out the Loop and needing close access to my office and clients and dinners and all that corporate America stuff.
But things have changed a lot and now that includes another lost bar to stale business. So kinda sad to see Aurelio’s go because it’s more about the entire neighborhood than it is that one location.
Other big losses include Scout even though it sucked and the music was obnoxious. And Kroll’s is a big miss too because they had the best TV’s and the bucket barstools and great service and food specials. Pound for Pound Krolls is my 2nd favorite sports bar of all time behind the late and great State Bar. And all of these things are lost and gone forever, which blows.
And not to be too big of a sob story, but the 2010-2017 stretch was peak Chicago post-Jordan. We had a decent mayor and good hockey and the nightlife responded accordingly. It was a great experience and I sincerely think Caleb Williams can spark the next run while the Cubs go deep in the 2025 playoffs. It’s going to happen quick so be ready when it comes.
For now though just a heads up Aurelio’s is closing in May.