Health food restaurant Protein Bar is no longer coming to downtown Evanston, a city official confirmed last week.

Protein Bar was slotted to replace athletic apparel store Lululemon Athletica, which closed its doors in August 2013. City Council approved a special use permit for the restaurant in September 2013, allowing the business to start planning its move into the space at 1622 Sherman Ave.

However, the city’s Economic Development manager Johanna Nyden said Protein Bar notified the city in March that it is halting its efforts to open in Evanston.

“Our understanding is they’re not moving forward at this point,” she said.

Nyden said the restaurant told the city it was not able to come to terms on a sublease agreement with Lululemon and would be moving on to look at other places.

Nyden said she does not think it will be difficult to find another business to move into the vacant space.

“We get a number of inquiries regularly,” she said. “I’m confident it will get filled.”

Protein Bar currently has locations in Washington, D.C. and Colorado, as well as 11 restaurants in Chicago and its suburbs.

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