Jazz Cafe To Be Replaced By ‘Food Palace’
Espernolia’s Jazz Cafe lasts less than a year on city's Far Northwest Side.
Site of Espernolia’s Jazz Cafe, 9002 W. Silver Spring Dr. Photo courtesy of Yolanda Gates.
Espernolia’s Jazz Cafe, located at 9002 W. Silver Spring Dr., closed in September after six months in business. The restaurant served comfort food like smothered pork chops, fried catfish and tacos, paired with a music-themed ambiance featuring icons such as John Coltrane, Kenny G and Gerald Albright.
Owners Espernolia and Yolanda Gates announced the news in a Facebook post, calling the venture “an incredible journey.”
“After much reflection, we have made the difficult decision to permanently close the doors to Espernolia’s Jazz Cafe,” the couple wrote. “We are deeply grateful for all the support, loyalty, and love you’ve shown us. Thank you for all the memories, and we look forward to continuing to be a part of your special moments in this new chapter.”
In the wake of the closure, the partners are shifting their focus back to full-time catering through Gates Family Catering, a business they originally launched in 1997.
Meanwhile, a new business is poised to take over the 300-square-foot restaurant space. Tyrecia Benson plans to open Food Palace Food for the Soul in the building later this month, according to a license application.
Similar to the previous owners, Benson will highlight comfort foods, including hot sandwiches, tacos and fried foods. However, the new restaurant will shift towards quick-service options, featuring hot dogs, hamburgers, nachos and fried chicken, along with sides like onion rings, fries, okra and mozzarella sticks.
On Sundays, the business will serve a specialty menu of soul foods including chitterlings, greens, dressing, yams, macaroni and cheese, cabbage and smothered potatoes.
Guests can also expect a Friday fish fry, according to a proposed menu.
Benson is awaiting city approval for her food dealer’s license and occupancy permit. Once open, Food Palace Food for the Soul plans to operate daily from 8 a.m. to 3 a.m.
The new restaurant will join two existing businesses—a barbershop and a hookah lounge—in a 1969 strip mall-style building owned by Evolution Properties, LLC. The property, located in the Silver Swan neighborhood, includes a surface parking lot with about a dozen spaces.
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