(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – A popular Lincoln Square restaurant that has been around for 40 years has announced plans to close its doors next year.
Café Selmarie, 4729 N. Lincoln Ave. – begun by two neighbors in September 1983 – will close in early 2024, according to a statement from owner Birgit Kobayashi posted to the restaurant’s website on Wednesday. She tells WBBM Newsradio the last day will be in January.
“After cooking and baking for decades, it is time to sit down. I want to travel with my husband and have time to indulge in other interests,” she said in the news release. “We witnessed this sleepy North Side enclave blossom into the vibrant, lovely Lincoln Square neighborhood at our front door. We are forever thankful to our customers for their support through all these years.”
Café Selmarie offers a wide range of food but is perhaps best known as a bakery destination, with its large glass cases at the front of restaurant packed with pastries. The business started as a coffee shop and had the neighborhood’s first espresso machine, Kobayashi said.
The 69-year-old native of Germany co-founded the establishment with her Giddings Street neighbor, Jeanne Uzdawinis, who died in 2017. The name Selmarie was a fusion of their middle names, Selma and Marie, respectively.
“We were inspired by European cafés and coffee houses,” Kobayashi. said. “We wanted fresh food, made with the best ingredients, served in a warm and inviting setting.”
Kobayashi said the restaurant will remain open for several weeks, allowing people to enjoy its offerings one final time. The restaurant will offer its signature stollen bread during the holidays, she said.
Eatz Associates will represent Café Selmarie in the sale of its assets, including the lease of the space, commercial kitchen equipment and restaurant furnishings, the restaurant said. The Café Selmarie name and recipes will not be sold, according to the news release.
Kobayashi said she has already heard from restaurateurs who are interested in the Giddings Plaza location.
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