Heaven On Seven Closes After 14 Years

NAPERVILLE, IL — After 14 years, Heaven on Seven has closed its doors. The Naperville Cajun-Creole hot spot is leaving its loyal customers with a hankering for voodoo chicken, Jimmy's gumbo and the blue plate special. News of its closure took the restaurant's fans — and its staff — by surprise.

Echos of disappointment are written on Facebook, where the Jan. 1 announcement was made public.

"How are we supposed to get our gumbo fix now?" asked one fan.

"No reason to go to Naperville anymore," said another.

One woman offered job interviews to former employees.

The announcement was unexpected for Russ Hillard, who has been "Heaven's" general manager for ten-and-a-half years.

"I had a great staff," he told Patch Wednesday. "They stuck with me 'til the end once they learned the place was closing. There were a lot of tears that last week."

The 50 or so front and back-of-the-house staff members were notified Dec. 26. Hillard said they got to say goodbye to a few of their regulars who stopped in for the holiday season. The last night of service was New Year's Eve, according to company spokesperson Shannan Bunting.

"They decided it was time to make a change," she said. "The lease was up. It was simply that."

Bunting did not know exactly when the lease expires, but she said the company needs time to clear everything out of the 224 S. Main St. space. She also didn't know when the decision was made to close the Naperville location, but confirmed it was made by owner Jimmy Bannos.

"Naperville was a great town and they had never had anything like Heaven on Seven before," Bannos said Wednesday. "Everybody there really embraced that and went crazy for our food. It was a great community and a great 15 years."

Hillard's most vivid memories are of the staff preparing for Mardi Gras each year. It was around this time when they'd start putting up streamers and lights for a giant Fat Tuesday celebration in February.

"It was a little disappointing we didn't do it one last time," he said.

Hillard said he understands business decisions have to be made, and that he "didn't receive much more information on the closure, other than the rent being up." He has plans to polish his resume and see what's out there.

"I'm not planning on going anywhere," the long-time Naperville resident said. "They haven't seen the last of me."

He also mentioned that former Heaven on Seven employees who interview with other restaurant managers have his highest recommendation.

Katie Wood, executive director of the Downtown Naperville Alliance, called the restaurant a "wonderful member of our downtown business community.

"We're very sad to see it go," she added. "We wish them all well and appreciate the unique spice they added to our downtown."

Although Wood was unaware of Heaven on Seven's closure, she said she wasn't surprised at the news.

"There's a life cycle. There's never just one reason why a business closes, but people take a variety of factors into consideration," she said.

This is the time of year Wood usually sees businesses shuttering, just after the holiday push. And the current climate for restaurants is "really tough."

"If people have a plethora of places to go to, that's more competition," she said.

Naperville saw a variety of new restaurants open in 2017, which meant a smaller piece of the pie for each. Local restaurant owners have also told her that it's difficult to find qualified staff.

As for who or what might occupy the main street space, Wood said the town will have no trouble finding a renter. In fact, she already knows of a few potential tenants who are eager to see the space.

"There are plenty of restaurants actively seeking Naperville for their new home."

Heaven on Seven's original location on Wabash Avenue in Chicago has been operating since 1985. The restaurant was named for the heavenly clouds of steam coming from gumbo on the Garland building's seventh floor. Its Rush Street location closed in 2015 after 17 years in business. Crain's Chicago Business said a judge forced the closure after months of unpaid rent. The following year, "Heaven's" co-founder, George Gregory Bannos, died unexpectedly in August at the age of 65.

Bunting said the owners thought Naperville really embraced the restaurant's Creole cuisine. If people love it enough to venture downtown, they can still get their hands on voodoo chicken sandwiches and other staples from the menu. The restaurant will celebrate 38 years at its Wabash location in February.

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