Milkstop Owner: 'Not Sure How It's Going To Last'

LA GRANGE, IL — It's hard enough for any restaurant to survive the mandated closure of its dining room. But the challenge is even greater for one that recently opened and is still building a clientele.

Such is the case for Milkstop in La Grange, which longtime La Grange chefs Mary and Chris Spagnola opened in October at 700 W. Burlington Ave.

Since the shutdown of restaurant dining rooms last month, Milkstop has seen business plunge by as much as 70 percent, which is roughly in line with what other restaurants are reporting in La Grange.

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"We still have opening costs," Mary Spagnola said. "We're trying very hard to make it work."

Much of the staff is paid by tips, so Milkstop could not keep those employees once the dining room closed, she said. And the restaurant had to cut its kitchen staff. "It's been heartbreaking," she said.

Spagnola praised the restaurant's "amazing customer support," saying she is sometimes brought to tears by their generosity. But she said she does not know how the restaurant will survive.

"The fact of the matter, it's very hard. I'm not sure how it's going to last," she said. "We're taking it day by day."

The Spagnolas take pride in the 119-year-old historic building they chose for their eatery. It has survived, while other buildings have come and gone to make way for new development.

Why the name Milkstop? The first train to pass through La Grange in 1864 orginated in Aurora, according to Milkstop's website. The Aurora Branch Railroad was constructed at the cost of $1 million with the original stop, a milk stop, just west of Brainard Avenue, the site says.

Milkstop still offers delivery and pickup service. Call 708-937-9158. Text your order to 708-318-0574. The menu is on the restaurant's website.

La Grange Patch continues to write profiles on La Grange-area businesses during the ongoing health crisis. La Grange Patch has a simple online survey for local small businesses to fill out to let everyone know they are open and their current hours of operation. If you want to add your business to La Grange Patch's list of open and closed businesses, you can do so here.

Read more:

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