“A fire caused ‘extensive’ damage to a well-known restaurant on the Near West Side Thursday night.
“Firefighters responded just after 10 p.m. to a fire at Palace Grill, 1408 W. Madison St., Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said. The restaurant was closed at the time. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
“A preliminary investigation indicates a grease fire started in the kitchen near a grill. It was put out “relatively quickly,’ Langford said, after firefighters cut a hole in the roof and poured a ‘considerable amount’ of water on the flames.
“The interior sustained ‘extensive’ damage in the kitchen area, but the building ‘appears to be intact,’ he said.
“Palace Grill, about five blocks from the United Center, opened in 1938 and has been a popular spot over the years for athletes, cops and firefighters. (Heather, Chicago Sun-Times, 2/9/24)
“In its more than eight decades on the Near West Side, the Palace Grill has seen its share of history — from hosting then-Vice President Al Gore and Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin in 1997 to surviving the riots after the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968.
“On Friday, owner George Lemperis said the popular restaurant near the United Center would survive the fire that caused extensive damage the night before.
“They rebuilt the World Trade Center. I can certainly rebuild this,” Lemperis told reporters Friday outside the restaurant at 1408 W. Madison St. “But it’s not good. Eighty-six years, we were here.” (Struett and Heather, Chicago Sun-Times, 2/9/24)
“It thrived when Madison Street was home to tony nightclubs, and survived riots when the area was was regarded as ‘skid row.’ The eatery also went 30 years without ever closing its doors once — back when it was open 24 hours a day
“‘Seventy-five years in business is really an honor for any business, let alone a restaurant,’ said owner George Lemperis, 65. ‘There’s a lot of history here. It’s a cool place.’
“‘In 1938, Madison Street was the Rush Street of Chicago,’ Lemperis explained. ‘All the clubs were here, and people would come from all over the world to come to these clubs.’
“It became known as the Palace Grill in 1950 and has been in the Lemperis family since 1955, back when a customer could buy a hamburger for just $10 cents.
“George Lemperis’ great-uncle and cousins — George, Mike and Gus Alpogianis — originally ran the restaurant, and it’s since been handed down from generation to generation. George and his father, Pete, took over in 1978 and operated for years with no menus.”
“His daughter Christina, a recent graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, plans to represent the fourth generation to run the family business.
”All my life I’ve always wanted to work here and do what Dad does,’ she said.
“Her plans include expanding the catering and private event side of the business, and possibly getting their famous hash browns carried in grocery stores. But the friendly scene at the Palace Grill won’t ever change, she added.
“‘People come here when they’re stressed out. If you have a bad day, you go to the Palace,’ she said. ‘People come here to feel better.'” (Pazderski, DNAinfo, 2/11/2013)
Read the full story at Chicago Sun-Times and DNAinfo
- Palace Grill on Near West Side is damaged in small fire; The restaurant sustained “extensive” damage and the blaze was put out after firefighters cut a hole in the roof, a Chicago Fire Department spokesman said, Kade Heather, Chicago Sun-Times, 2/9/24
- Palace Grill owner vows fire won’t be final chapter for historic West Side eatery that’s fed Blackhawks, big shots and beat cops, Owner George Lemperis said Friday the damage was extensive but that he plans to reopen: “They rebuilt the World Trade Center. I can certainly rebuild this.”, David Struett and Kade Heather, Chicago Sun-Times, 2/9/24
- Fundraiser is launched to rebuild Palace Grill after damaging fire; A Blackhawks fan and longtime customer set a goal of $15,000, saying, “It’s time to pull together and rally around the Palace Grill.” Kade Heather, Chicago Sun-Times, 2/13/24
- Palace Grill Fundraiser Looks To Help Staff, Owner After Beloved Diner Damaged In Fire; A longtime customer started the fundraiser, hoping to raise $15,000 to help rebuild after the “extensive” damage, Melody Mercado, Block Club Chicago, 2/13/24
- Help the Iconic Palace Grill Rebuild From Fire GoFundMe page
- Palace Grill to Celebrate 75 Years of Slinging Breakfast and Burgers, JoAnne Pazderski, DNAinfo, 2/11/2013
- Palace Grill Closed After ‘Extensive’ Damage From Fire; The restaurant, which is near the United Center, has been open since 1938 and has been a go-to spot for Blackhawks fans before games — and has also been popular with players, Kelly Bauer, Block Club Chicago, 2/9/24
- Beloved Palace Grill restaurant closed after suffering ‘extensive’ damage in fire; The Palace Grill, located blocks away from the United Center, has been a staple on the Near West Side for 86 years,NBC Chicago / Sun-Times, 2/9/24