Restaurant operators across the U.S. continue to rework footprints as large dining rooms become harder to justify amid shifting customer traffic and higher operating costs. In Glenview, Hackney’s has announced that its Lake Avenue restaurant, a long-running family destination on the North Shore, will close in early September after 71 years. The move ends a decades-long run for one of the Chicago area’s best-known family-owned restaurant names at that address.
Hackney’s confirms the Lake Avenue closure after 71 years
Hackney’s announced on August 8 that its Lake Avenue restaurant at 1514 East Lake Avenue in Glenview will permanently close in early September after 71 years, according to the company’s public statement as reported by CBS Chicago and Patch. The business did not provide a final day of service, but it said the closure will take effect at the beginning of September. The restaurant has operated in that building since 1955, giving the site its 71-year run in 2026.
The closure affects one specific Glenview restaurant, not the entire Hackney’s business. Patch reported that the Masterson family, which has owned Hackney’s since 1939, is consolidating activity around the Harms Road location rather than shutting down the brand. CEO Mike Masterson said the company plans to focus on what he described as a re-energized customer experience at the remaining Glenview restaurant.
Hackney’s also confirmed that renovation work is underway at Hackney’s on Harms, located at 1241 Harms Road in Glenview. According to Patch, interior construction began July 27 and is scheduled to continue through August 27, with updates to the bar, lobby, and booths. During that work, the indoor bar and dining room are closed, while the patio and kitchen remain open.
What is confirmed in Glenview, and what has not been released
The confirmed Illinois impact is centered on Glenview. The Lake Avenue restaurant at 1514 East Lake Avenue is the location set to close, while the Harms Road restaurant at 1241 Harms Road remains open and is being updated, according to Hackney’s website and local reports. No other Illinois city was identified in the company’s current closure announcement.
What is not yet known is the exact final operating date for the Lake Avenue site. CBS Chicago reported that the owners did not give a specific date beyond saying the restaurant will close in early September. The company also has not released staffing figures tied to the closure, so the number of workers affected has not been publicly confirmed.
The company likewise has not released a broader state-by-state breakdown because the current announcement concerns a single Illinois location. For readers in Glenview, the practical takeaway is that the Lake Avenue address is winding down while the Harms Road restaurant continues service during renovations. Customers can still order from the Harms location, and the company has publicly directed Lake Avenue diners there as the next chapter of the business moves forward.
The company says changing dining habits drove the decision
Hackney’s tied the closure directly to changing restaurant usage patterns. In comments reported by Patch, Mike Masterson said a 700-seat restaurant fit the market in the 1960s but no longer fits how customers use restaurants in 2026. That statement is the clearest explanation the company has given for why the Lake Avenue site is closing now after surviving for generations.
The decision also reflects a strategy of concentrating investment in one updated property rather than operating two nearby Glenview locations. Patch reported that the company is modernizing the Harms Road restaurant while preserving its longtime character, and Masterson said the goal is a classic but updated look. That suggests the family is repositioning the business around a smaller, refreshed footprint instead of maintaining the much larger Lake Avenue dining room.
For customers and residents, the immediate expectation is continuity at Harms Road rather than a full disappearance of the brand from Glenview. Hackney’s said it hopes Lake Avenue customers will continue visiting the Harms location, which is about a mile and a half away. The company’s public message framed the closure as the end of one address, not the end of Hackney’s in Illinois.