Highland Park's Carlos' Restaurant to Close

, the 30-year-old Highland Park fine dining establishment headed by husband and wife team Carlos and Debbie Nieto, will close its doors on New Year's Eve, according to Make It Better.

The couple, who also own and Happ Inn, will reopen the restaurant as a more casual space called Nieto's. Debbie Nieto told Make It Better the new place would include a "much lower price point" and that they want to "bring in everyone… to help us with the next chapter."

"People love the restaurant when they come," Nieto said, "but with the economy… a lot of people are hurting right now, and it carries down to everyone."

Carlos' isn't the first Highland Park restaurant to make a change based on the economy and its effect on people's dining habits. When Bobby Dubin opened his , he made sure his prices were low and that it was BYOB so people could save money on drinks.

"People got hit hard since 2008," Dubin said, "They want to still go out but [the cost is] becoming prohibitive."

The Nieto's have some special events planned for the next two months in honor of the restaurant's three-decade history, including lunch service starting in mid-December and special dinners with guest chefs like Didier Durand and Gabe Viti, according to Make It Better.

To read the whole interview with Debbie Nieto, click here.

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