Market House On The Square In Lake Forest Closes 'For The Season'

LAKE FOREST, IL — After operating for eight years in downtown Lake Forest, Market House on the Square is closing for at least the rest of the winter, its owner announced.

Wednesday was the final day of happy hour on the patio and curbside carryout from the locally owned restaurant at 655 Forest Ave., the historical site of the former fire and police station. It will be closed until further notice.

Owner Carla Westcott said the restaurant's level of hospitality would be difficult to provide in the coming months.

"While the stimulus funds and the generous support of the city of Lake Forest helped get us this far; the cold weather safety guidelines barring normal operations limit us significantly," Westcott said in a Dec. 17 message.

"Without full capacity indoor dining, there is little we can do to make it through the long winter months."

Westcott said the summer and fall had been among the most gratifying of her time running the restaurant. Serving members of the community and working with the Beacon Place community center in Waukegan, she said, had strengthened her sense of purpose.

"I will continue my work with Beacon Place and have begun working with others to help shape Market House on the Square as it moves into the future," she said.

No re-opening date has been announced for Market House or its sister restaurant MH Kitchen & Coffee, which opened last summer and is listed as temporarily closed on its website.

General Manager Dina Rotolo did not immediately respond to a request for more information about the closure.

Westcott said she was doing all she could to help her staff find new work.

According to the restaurant owner's Paycheck Protection Program application, the $150,000 to $300,000 coronavirus relief loan it received helped preserve 39 jobs.

Market House opened in 2012 at the former South Gate Cafe site. Its original chef, Dominic Zumpano, is now the co-owner of The Gallery at 202 Wisconsin Ave, while its original co-owner, Mark Westcott, said he has not been affiliated with the restaurant for the past five years. In 2016, Market House brought on Dan Marquis as executive chef.

RELATED: South Gate Cafe Becomes Market House On The Square

After voluntarily closing for about a month at the start of the pandemic, Westcott said in an interview in June, Market House brought back its full staff for curbside-only service and launched a delivery option.

"I think what has really changed is we have to pivot all the time," she said. "We have to be nimble, that what we thought we were going to do may have not worked, so we're always constantly getting feedback from all of you and listening to our team and coming up with new strategies."

Westcott, a 30-year resident of Lake Forest, said she was optimistic about what 2021 could bring.

"Thank you again for your support through the pandemic, as well as your encouragement through the years," Westcott said. "For me, one of the best parts of the last eight years has been getting to know all of you, watching your children grow, celebrating milestones with you, grieving with you, and learning from you. Closing Market House, however temporary, will leave a void in my heart."

This article originally appeared on the Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Patch