Illinois is preparing to lose a longtime independent food business as grocery closures continue changing where communities shop. Southport Grocery and Cafe, a neighborhood specialty market and daytime restaurant, will close at the end of 2026 after 23 years.
Owner and chef Lisa Santos announced the decision in October, describing the coming months as a long goodbye. The business is still open daily, and no exact final service date has been announced beyond the end-of-year timeline.
The Illinois shop combines groceries and a cafe
Southport Grocery opened in 2003 inside a former funeral home in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. The shop at 3552 North Southport Avenue built its identity around all-day breakfast and lunch, catering and specialty grocery shelves…