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Chicago’s most iconic cinnamon rolls are about to change addresses.
The flagship outpost of Ann Sather, the longtime Swedish restaurant known for its iconic rolls, will relocate later this summer, with plans to stay in the Lakeview neighborhood. A representative told CBS News Chicago the move from 909 West Belmont Avenue is expected sometime in June or July, though an exact closing date hasn’t been finalized. (A new address is still in the works.)
For a restaurant that’s been part of this stretch of Belmont Avenue for more than 80 years (albeit in a few different storefronts), it’s a big change. But Ann Sather that it knows how to stick around—even if the exact address changes.
As for why it’s moving now, blame development. Next door, a new five-story mixed-use building with 46 apartments is coming up, replacing a row of longtime neighborhood businesses. Earlier plans for the project spared the Ann Sather building, but it’s since expanded to include its eventual demolition as part of a second construction phase.
Owner Tom Tunney told Block Club Chicago the timeline is still fluid. “Outside of closing sometime this summer, we don’t have any definitive plans until we sign a lease,” Tunney said. In other words, the cinnamon rolls aren’t going far, but where exactly they’ll land is still TBD.
Ann Sather has moved along Belmont before, though, most recently landing at its current address in 2007 after relocating from just up the block. And while the flagship is the one making headlines, the restaurant isn’t disappearing entirely: the locations in East Lakeview and Edgewater will continue operating as usual. Still, the departure is the end of an era for a block that’s already seen rapid change. The now-demolished neighboring building once housed a mix of indie staples, from bookstores to ramen spots, not a sleek residential development.
For now, though, there’s still time to grab one more plate of Swedish pancakes or a sticky cinnamon roll at the Belmont location before it goes. And if history is any indication, Ann Sather might just reappear a few doors down, ready to do it all over again.