In April, chefs Jordan and Aurora Coffey announced they would not be reopening their restaurant, American Harvest Eatery, even when the stay-at-home order was lifted. The original announcement hinted at other things to come, with Aurora stating, “When you next eat our food, drink our cocktails, and greet our staff it will be in a new home.”
Fans of the eatery, known for nearly a decade for its locally sourced menu, may not have to wait long for the next incarnation of the restaurant. Mike and Paula Ryan, owners of Ryan Home and Development, are building out a space in their latest retail center at 3121 Hedley Rd. for the new restaurant, which will be called Luminary: Kitchen & Provisions. Paula Ryan said the look and feel of the space will be a “completely different concept” and the timeline is for a fall opening.
The Ryans purchased the former Super Wash in November 2017 and demolished it to build a second retail center, just east of their recently finished project at 3141 Hedley, which is anchored by Joseph’s Fine Cuisine.
At 2800 square feet, the new location will be significantly smaller than the 6200 square feet that American Harvest occupied. According to Mike Ryan, the move will result in a significant cost savings for the Coffeys. “The people they were leasing from previously wouldn’t renegotiate with a smaller space or different timeline, so that forced them to make a move,” he said.
In an interview with Illinois Times in April, the Coffeys said the cost of rent at American Harvest’s location on Iles Avenue was unsustainable during the shutdown and their landlord wasn’t willing to work with them. The couple opted not to renew their lease, which ended in May.
