Prairie Moon Set For Closing Party Before Moving To New Location

EVANSTON, IL — On its 16th anniversary, Evanston restaurant Prairie Moon will be shuttering its 1502 Sherman Ave. location. The owners said they plan to open a new concept in Evanston this summer before returning with an updated Prairie Moon next year in a new development. The final day of service will be April 15, and the restaurant plans to announce its new location in the coming weeks.

Prairie Moon said the closure comes as part of an arrangement with Albion Residential. The Dallas-based company is building a 15-story mixed-use development in the 1500 block of Sherman Avenue. The restaurant's owner, Robert Strom, has agreed to open a restaurant in the first floor of the new development, which is expected to open before the end of 2019.

After 30 years of operating restaurants, Strom opened Prairie Moon on Sherman Avenue in 2002 with a focus on "authentic regional American" cuisine. It soon earned its reputation and pioneer in offering Evanston customers "local, small-batch and hard to find beers."

The restaurant said it is committed to hiring local staff and will continue with many of the same 50 employees in its new location, which will serve a similar menu.

Prairie Moon's going away party will kick off Friday, April 13 with a party featuring live music from the E-Town Get Down and DJ Tee-Bot and continue through Sunday, April 15.

All through its final weekend of service, diners can enjoy some of the most popular dishes served over the past 16 years at the Evanston staple and ownership will be on hand to answer questions about the new location.