Mike Ditka,the legendary NFL coach who once led Chicago’s beloved Bears football team and later started a line of restaurants in the area,announced earlier this month that he will be closing his Arlington Heights restaurant very soon. Ditka,who opened the restaurant in 2014 near short term rentals and business apartments,didn’t announce the exact reason why his Arlington Heights location is closing.
Much like his Oakbrook Terrace restaurant of the same name,Ditka served up steaks and drinks at his sports-themed Arlington Heights restaurant. While this location is closing,Ditka still operates a few different restaurants in the Chicagoland area and will remain in business at those places for the time being.
Michael Mertes,Arlington Heights’ business development coordinator,confirmed the closing but noted that the site’s off track betting hub will be unaffected by the closure. Gamblers come to the OTB to bet on horse races and other events.
Despite the fact that the building is centrally located near serviced apartment buildings and other places of business,the owners aren’t quite sure what will be going in the space. Mertes says the city of Arlington Heights will continue to work with other officials to figure out a good business to take the place of Mike Ditka’s steakhouse. It should also be noted that this wasn’t Ditka’s first attempt at starting a restaurant in Arlington Heights. The beloved Chicago Bears coach opened an eatery during the height of the team’s popularity before closing it in the late 1980s.
Ditka,who won a Super Bowl with the Chicago Bears back in 1963,has had a storied career in the Windy City. After he retired from playing in the NFL,he was the Chicago Bears head coach for 11 years,twice winning Coach of the Year awards given to outstanding NFL coaches every year.