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Former Chicago McCormick & Schmick’s employee says they learned of closure on New Year’s Eve

Published  January 5, 2026 4:45pm CST
Loop
FOX 32 Chicago
New details arise in sudden closure of popular Chicago restaurant

New details arise in sudden closure of popular Chicago restaurant

Following the closure of McCormick & Schmick’s in Chicago’s Loop, a former employee said staff learned the restaurant was shutting down on their final day of work.

The Brief

    • McCormick & Schmick’s closed its only Chicago location after its lease expired, with employees learning of the closure on New Year’s Eve, their final day of work.
    • A former server said staff were not given advance notice and were turned away from scheduled work days after the closure.
    • Gift cards will still be honored at the Rosemont location and other Landry’s-owned restaurants.

CHICAGO - Following the closure of McCormick & Schmick’s in Chicago’s Loop, a former employee said staff learned the restaurant was shutting down on their final day of work.

What we know:

The restaurant’s last day of operation was New Year’s Eve. In the days since, the restaurant’s name has been removed from the building, and the space appears empty.

FOX 32 confirmed with Landry’s Hospitality Group, the parent company of McCormick & Schmick’s, that the restaurant closed after its lease expired.

The Loop location was the company’s only restaurant in Chicago. It was located on East Wacker Drive along the Chicago River and was known for its steak and seafood.

Earlier Monday, FOX 32 spoke with Jonathan Stone, who worked as a server at the restaurant for three years. He said it was his full-time job.

Stone said he arrived at work on New Year’s Eve expecting a busy and profitable night, only to realize it would be his last shift with the company.

"We deserve to know ahead of time so we can start looking for other jobs, but I think the thing that really soured everyone was the fact we were on route to the restaurant Friday morning to start doing that last bit of work and found out that the job was already complete and we were not needed," Stone said. 

What's next:

FOX 32 reached out to McCormick & Schmick’s for comment on the closure and next steps. In a statement, a spokesperson said the company is grateful to its employees and customers and called it an honor to have served Chicago.

The spokesperson added the company is actively working to help displaced employees find other jobs.

Stone said he has not been contacted so far.

Customers with gift cards can still use them at the McCormick & Schmick’s location in Rosemont or at other Landry’s restaurants, including Morton’s, The Palm and Mastro’s.

RELATED: McCormick & Schmick’s closes Chicago Loop location after lease expiration

The Source: The information in this article was reported by FOX 32's Bret Buganski. 

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