Updated April 7, 5 p.m.
The Evanston location of Ethel’s Chocolate Lounge will close by the end of the month, a company spokeswoman confirmed Tuesday.
The closing is part of a larger decision by parent company Mars Inc. to end all Ethel’s operations in and around Chicago, said spokeswoman Alice Nathanson. Five locations, including Evanston’s at 527 Davis St., will close by the end of April. Ethel’s final site, located in Skokie’s Old Orchard Mall, will also eventually shut down.
“In the time since they were opened, we learned a lot about what worked and what didn’t work,” Nathanson said. “The stores’ performance showed that the concept just didn’t resonate well enough with chocolate lovers in Chicago.”
Many students said they were disappointed with the closing.
“I think it’s one of the most unique places in Evanston,” said Weinberg senior Sarah Dar, who said she was planning to go to Ethel’s that night. “I always take people there when they visit from out of town, so that’s really sad.”
But other students said they wouldn’t be that affected by the closing.
“I’ve never been there,” said Weinberg junior Maria Provenzano. “I have a little regret that I won’t be able to, I guess.”
Although several students tied Ethel’s closing to the recent closing of Cafe Ambrosia, 1620 Orrington Ave., they appear to have separate causes.
While Ambrosia closed due to the recession, Ethel’s had nothing to do with the economy, said Nathanson, who said the company had “been looking at the situation for quite some time.”
Mars, an international corporation specializing in sweets, is behind such candy as M&M’s, Starburst and Twix.
The company opened the stores in 2006. The Chicago area was the only Ethel’s location outside of the Las Vegas area.
The Las Vegas locations will remain open, Nathanson said, and students and others will still be able to order the chocolate online.
