Popular, long-standing downtown Rockford restaurant closes indefinitely

Rockford Register Star
·1 min read
Michael Leifheit, co-owner of the Irish Rose Saloon, is pictured March, 27, 2020, at the Irish Rose Saloon in Rockford, Illinois.
Michael Leifheit, co-owner of the Irish Rose Saloon, is pictured March, 27, 2020, at the Irish Rose Saloon in Rockford, Illinois.

The Irish Rose Saloon, 519 E. State St., announced Tuesday afternoon that the downtown restaurant and bar is "indefinitely closed."

"The Irish Rose has been closed indefinitely due to a family illness," the establishment posted on its Facebook page. "All of our wonderful guest and employees are important to us, but we kindly ask everyone to respect the privacy of family members as they and close friends of the Rose sort out what the future holds."

The Rose is a well-known gathering spot for downtown workers, local politicians, artists, writers, musicians and more with a menu featuring fresh meats, seafood and produce, often hand-picked from Chicago markets by owner Michael Liefheit.

The Rose opened in 1990.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Popular, long-standing downtown Rockford restaurant closes indefinitely