Southport Grocery Closes After 23 Years to Make Way for New Diner
The Lake View breakfast spot will shut down on December 31, with Dollop Finer Diner scheduled to open in the space next February.
By Marco Alvarez ·
Southport Grocery and Cafe will close its doors on December 31 after operating for 23 years in Lake View. The long-running breakfast and bakery spot is making room for Dollop Finer Diner, a new concept from Chicago-based Dollop Coffee Co. The transition aims to replace the current menu with specialty coffee and elevated breakfast and lunch items.
Owner Lisa Santos announced the closure in an Instagram video. She stated that the decision was twofold, driven by the inevitable exit strategy of a small business owner and the opportunity to partner with a larger entity. Santos met with Keith Kreuser, director of food and beverage for Dollop, and founder Dan Weiss nearly four years ago. At the time, both businesses were seeking stability after the pandemic altered the local restaurant market.
Dollop had previously closed its bake shop at 1000 N. Damen Ave. and moved those operations to its Montrose Avenue location. That space quickly became too small for their needs. Weiss believed Santos needed a partner to support her wholesale business. Kreuser noted that Southport employees would have the option to opt into healthcare, a benefit they previously did not have.
Santos will retain a small portion of the new Dollop Finer Diner. She will also keep her original recipes, including her grandmother's sugar cookie recipe, on the menu. However, the famous banana pudding pancakes will not carry over, though items like biscotti will remain. Santos said she is not retiring and plans to release her cafe recipes through a book or Substack.
The current staff of nearly 40 employees will be paid and trained at other Dollop locations through January. Contractors will work on updating the Lake View space during that period. Kreuser is working with kitchen manager Noemi Rojas to design the new menu. Rojas recently prepared pupusas with scallions and ham, which inspired Kreuser to include similar family-style dishes.
Regulars have reacted with mixed emotions to the news. Judy Sutton Taylor, who has brought her daughters to the cafe since their birth in 2003, called the spot iconic. She and friend Patti Morrow visited the patio to enjoy one of their final breakfasts. On Reddit, some users described the change as a downgrade, while others asked Dollop to keep the brisket hash and gravy.
Kreuser said Dollop Finer Diner is scheduled to open on February 1 of next year. The new menu will likely include house longganisa, huevos rancheros, chilaquiles with house-made chips and salsa verde, and breakfast burritos. Kreuser said he derived these ideas from the people he works with and how they eat at work.
