Rick Bayless Closes Wicker Park's Fonda Frontera

CHICAGO, IL — Rick Bayless' Fonda Frontera closed Sunday after three years in Wicker Park. The restaurant on North Milwaukee Avenue was originally named Xoco Bistro when it opened in 2014, and was re-branded to Fonda Frontera in 2016. Bayless announced the closure in a Facebook post Sunday.

"We want to say a huge Thank You to all of you who've been our guests at Fonda Frontera in Wicker Park over the last 3 years. We've made some of our most delicious creations there (I'm thinking about those Wood-Oven Mussels with Roasted Garlic & Tocayo Beer!) and we've hosted some truly memorable events," the post read.

Bayless, who stars in the PBS show "Mexico—One Plate at a Time," is known in Chicago for his Frontera Grill and Topolobampo eateries.

"So it is with a particularly heavy heart that we have to report that the era of Fonda Frontera in Wicker Park has reached its end," the Facebook post stated. "We appreciate your support and we know you'll be pleased with the new Frontera projects you'll be able to enjoy in the spring."

The restaurant served modern, Mexico City-inspired food. According to Eater, Fonda Frontera employees got the news of the closure only minutes before the public did. The employees will be receiving severance pay and some will be transferred to other jobs within Frontera, Eater reported.

Image via Google Maps Streetview