4 Suns Fresh Juice will relocate to Wild Onion Market, a community-owned grocery store in Rogers Park, after its Main Street storefront closed Monday.
This comes after multiple Evanston business closures, including Peet’s Coffee, Chili’s and Bob’s Pizza.
“I’m joining the club,” owner Gabrielle J. Walker told The Daily. “That is because traffic has been so slow, we’ve literally had only two to three customers a day.”
Walker explained business typically slows during the winter months but said this year’s downturn has been “crippling.” She added remaining open in Evanston is “not feasible,” citing rising costs in produce and utilities.
4 Suns, which features a menu emphasizing wellness, healthy and plant-based options, previously reopened in May after a fire devastated the business in 2023.
Last month, Walker and several others sought financial support from the city to open a separate restaurant at the corner of Dempster Street and Dodge Avenue, requesting a $400,000 Tax Increment Financing grant to support the $1.9 million project.
The new restaurant would feature healthier options at an intersection that predominantly features fast-food restaurants, including Burger King, McDonald’s and Dunkin’, according to remarks made by Walker during public comment at a City Council meeting last month.
The financing request was ultimately denied, but Walker told The Daily she still plans to pursue the venture, adding she’s “extremely hopeful” and “when one door closes, five open.” A GoFundMe has begun to raise the necessary funds to finance the restaurant.
Meanwhile, as they settle into their new Chicago location, 4 Suns will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, Walker said.
“Right now, this is just a pit stop and a pivot for us to sadly say 1906 Main is relocating to Wild Onion in Rogers Park, but then we’ll be back in Evanston this late spring as a full-service restaurant and prayerfully things go well for us,” Walker said.
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Related Stories:
— 4 Suns Plant-Based Kitchen reopens, promotes Evanston wellness
— City Council rejects TIF grant request for West Village restaurant in Monday night standoff
— Spilling the beans: Peet’s Coffee to close at end of the month, manager confirms
