The King Is Dead: Evanston's 24-Hour Burger King Closes For Good

EVANSTON, IL — The Burger King location that served for decades as downtown Evanston's only 24-hour eatery has permanently closed.

A sign posted Monday night in the window of the 1740 Orrington Ave. location announced the end of an era.

"Sorry," the sign said. "Permanently Closed." It was followed by a frowning face.

Calls to the restaurant Tuesday morning went unanswered. Doors were locked, and workers inside appeared to be taking apart its furnishings. Its manager could not be reached.

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Burger King No. 1664 had operated as an all-night eatery on the edge of the Northwestern University campus in downtown Evanston since at least the 1990s.

Property records show the restaurant's expiring lease on the property dates back to 1976, the same year the structure was built.

Ald. Ann Rainey, who was first elected to the City Council in 1983, said the city was "bamboozled" into authorizing the Burger King in the mid-1970s. City officials had expected a full-service restaurant and got a fast food franchise instead, she recalled.

Burger King Corp. took over the lease on the property from franchisee Chart House Inc. as part of a 1985 liquidation plan, according to property records.

Following the 1991 death of original owner Thomas Zweifel, who also previously owned Zweifel Motors and the Orrington Hotel, the property was transferred to a family trust in 1993.

The lease on the property ends March 23, 2021, and there are no options to extend it, according to copy of the lease extension from 2000.

In January 2015, the restaurant reported that it was under new ownership, according to past memos from city staff.

And since at least 2013, interested developers have been in contact with the property owner ahead of the expiration of Burger King's lease, according to Evanston Economic Development Director Paul Zalmezak.

"I've had my eyes on this property for a while as a redevelopment site, for obvious reasons," Zalmezak said. "It's such a high profile corner right across from the university."

The 0.4-acre property has been listed for sale and is expected to attract interest for redevelopment into a multi-story, mixed-use commercial development. No price tag was included, and its listing agent did not immediately respond to a request for more information.

The site is currently zoned as the D2 Downtown Retail Core District, which allows for buildings up to 42 feet high and requires they have at least 75 percent of ground floor space devoted to retail use.

Other downtown Evanston restaurants to close in 2020 include Unicorn Cafe at 1723 Sherman Ave., Panera Bread at 1700 Sherman Ave., The Stained Glass at 1735 Benson Ave., That Little Mexican Cafe at 1010 Church St. and La Macchina at 1620 Orrington Ave., according to past reports.

Earlier this week, another longtime Evanston location of a multinational chain announced plans to permanently close — the Starbucks location at 528 Dempster St. will shutter at noon Dec. 27.

Evanston has another Burger King location at 1829 Dempster St., which is open from 6 a.m. to midnight. It is about a block east of a 24-hour McDonald's at 1919 Dempster St.

Burger King corporate representatives did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Also Monday, a Burger King location at 3625 Rock Creek Road in Joliet announced it had permanently closed.