Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

41° Evanston, IL
Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

Advertisement
Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive our email newsletter in your inbox.



Advertisement

Advertisement

Owner closes Camille’s, plans to open re-invented restaurant

When he arrived back on campus after Winter Break, Zak Kirchner was surprised to find out that Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe had closed. Kirchner had worked there since the beginning of the school year and had heard nothing from his employers.

“I was like, ‘Those jerks didn’t even call me!'” he said, laughing. Later he found out that the owner was opening a new restaurant and Kirchner would still have a job.

Nimisha Patel decided to close her Camille’s franchise on December 23, only 10 months after it opened, because she didn’t like the restraints levied by the corporate headquarters.

“The customers wanted something we couldn’t provide,” Patel said.

Assistant Manager Giselle Juarez said the closing also had to do with the high food prices and small portions.

“Corporate wouldn’t allow for change,” said Kirchner, a Communication sophomore. “They were ripping us off. The customers were paying too much for too little.”

Patel wanted to stay in the restaurant industry, so she decided to start her own restaurant, Fusion.

All of the employees have been invited to continue working at Fusion, which will be in the same location, 1741 Sherman Ave.

The new menu boasts about 65 dishes and 20 drinks with items as assorted pizza and Thai food. Patel said she wanted a menu that would provide for varied palates.

“I’ve always wanted my own restaurant,” Patel said. “I wanted to have a menu where a family of four would each find something on the menu to eat.”

To bring the students in, Patel has changed the student discount. At Camille’s, Northwestern students received a free smoothie with lunch as well as a free appetizer with a dinner over $15. At Fusion students will be offered a 20 percent discount with their WildCARDs.

A second server will be added and there will be more staff on the food preparation side to speed up the service, a common complaint about Camille’s, Juarez and Kirchner said.

Fusion will also be more dynamic, Patel said, because she won’t have to follow rules from the corporate headquarters. She will be able respond to customers’ suggestions.

Janet Patton, a sales and marketing representative from Camille’s corporate headquarters in Tulsa, Okla., said the Evanston location was temporarily closed and no date has been set for a possible reopening. Camille’s is a chain with more than 500 locations in development nationwide.

Fusion will open its doors to the public on Jan. 14 “if all goes well,” Patel said.

Reach Phillip Wiese at [email protected].

More to Discover
Activate Search
Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881
Owner closes Camille’s, plans to open re-invented restaurant