After a Short Run, M Restaurant Closes

M Restaurant, located at the corner of Central Avenue and Green Bary Road in Highland Park, closed last week.

The southern-style, upscale restaurant owned by Kentucky-native Missy Crovetti opened in the summer of 2011.

"We were disappointed to see they had closed their doors to the public," said Highland Park Deputy City Manager Ghida Neukirch.

The city is currently working with the building's property owners to find leads for new businesses.

"We are taking proactive measures to find businesses that compliment our business community," Neukirch said.

M marks the third recent restaurant closure in Highland Park, after Corner Bakery and Stashs. The trend is consistent with the Chicago area at this time of the year, according to Neukirch. The holiday season is traditionally a slower time for businesses, and that combined with the fact that a lot of leases are up leads to business closings. 

"It's definitely not unique to our community," Neukirch said.

The Deputy City Manager said she did not think the shuttered Highland Park Theatre played a role in the recent closings. Some Highland Park residents, like real estate developer Jon Plotkin, told Patch earlier this year that the closed, city-owned theater would hurt downtown businesses.

"Going into the holiday season with a dark space at that end," Plotkin said, "Does not bode well for merchants up and down the street."

Neukirch said that the downtown offers ample activity to make up for the theater. She pointed to the recent opening of Perchance Boutique in Renaissaice Place as an example of new businesses bringing new activity to the city.

Downtown merchants also got together last weekend for a holiday event to attract shoppers to the area, and The Music Theatre Company continues to attract crowds with its performances.

"There's still a lot of draw to the community," Neukirch said. 

Editor's note: Patch will be reaching out to M's property owners as part of its continued coverage of businesses opening and closing in Highland Park. Have an idea of what should fill in that space? Leave a comment below.