Thattu closes Avondale restaurant after three years

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Thattu, the Kerala-inspired restaurant that opened in Avondale in April 2023, is closing. Block Club Chicago reported the closure on Nov. 9, saying the dining room was busy when it first opened but business has struggled more recently.

The restaurant arrived with unusual attention for a neighborhood spot: a James Beard Award semifinalist as a pop-up, then a place on the New York Times' 2023 list of 50 best restaurants in the country and Eater's 12 best new restaurants. Rather than hunt for another dining room, owners Margaret Pak and Vinod Kalathil plan pop-ups and traveling with their cuisine, the format Thattu started with in 2018.

Why it matters

A New York Times-listed restaurant couldn't keep its Avondale dining room open, so its owners are betting on pop-ups instead.

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Key Indicators

Years the Avondale restaurant operated

Opened April 2023; closure reported November 2026.

Restaurants on the New York Times 2023 list

Thattu was one of 50 included in September 2023.

Restaurants on Eater's 2023 best new list

Eater named Thattu among 12 best new restaurants in America in November 2023.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Margaret Pak

Chef and co-owner of Thattu

Planning pop-ups and travel with Thattu's cuisine after the Avondale closure

Vinod Kalathil

Co-owner of Thattu

Planning pop-ups and travel with Thattu's cuisine after the Avondale closure

Organizations Involved

Thattu

Restaurant

Closing its Avondale dining room; owners plan pop-ups and travel

A Chicago restaurant serving the coastal cuisine of Kerala, India, that grew from a pop-up series into an Avondale dining room.

Politan Row

Food hall

Closed in 2020; was Thattu's first permanent stall

The Chicago food hall where Thattu held its first permanent stall before the pandemic ended it.

Timeline

2018 November 2026

10 events Latest: Today

Tap a bar to jump to that date

November 2026
Closure reported after three years
Today Closure

Block Club Chicago reports the Avondale restaurant is closing; owners plan pop-ups.
Today
November 2023
Eater names it one of 12 best new restaurants
Award

Eater includes Thattu in its national best new restaurants list.
November 7th, 2023
September 2023
New York Times names Thattu to national list
Award

The restaurant appears on the Times' list of 50 best restaurants in the United States.
September 19th, 2023
April 2023
Thattu opens in Avondale
Opening

The permanent restaurant opens with a full bar and a menu of Keralan dishes.
April 2023
January 2022
Avondale restaurant confirmed as under construction
Announcement

Eater Chicago reports a permanent Thattu location is being built in Avondale.
January 20th, 2022
2021
Pop-ups run from Guild Row's kitchen
Operations

Preorder pop-ups often sold out shortly after being announced on social media.
2021
February 2020
James Beard semifinalist for Best New Restaurant
Award

The food hall stall is named a semifinalist by the James Beard Foundation.
February 25th, 2020
2020
Politan Row closes; Thattu returns to pop-ups
Closure

Indoor dining is suspended during the pandemic, ending the food hall stall.
2020
2019
Thattu joins Politan Row food hall
Opening

The pop-up gets its first fixed stall as an opening vendor at the Chicago food hall.
2019
2018
Thattu starts as a pop-up series
Origin

Pak and Kalathil cook pop-up dinners at Chicago bars and restaurants, building a following.
2018

Scenarios

Thattu returns as a roving Chicago pop-up

Likely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Thattu's owners, who told Block Club Chicago they plan pop-ups and travel with their cuisine

Pak and Kalathil built Thattu as a pop-up series before ever signing a lease, and they say they intend to return to that model. One announced and held public dinner would confirm the pivot is real rather than a line in a closure notice.

Owners sign a lease on a new Thattu dining room

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: No one has predicted this; the owners described pop-ups and travel, not a new lease

The couple opened a permanent location once before after years of pop-ups, and a strong pop-up run could make a second dining room viable. Nothing in the closure reporting points to a search for space.

A new restaurant takes over Thattu's Avondale space

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Not yet reported by any outlet

The building's landlord will need a new tenant, and Avondale has absorbed several restaurant openings in recent years. A liquor or food license at the address would be the first public signal.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2019-2020

Politan Row Chicago (2019-2020)

Thattu joined the opening vendor lineup at the Politan Row food hall in 2019, its first fixed location after a year of pop-up dinners. In 2020, government officials suspended indoor dining during the pandemic, and the hall closed.

Then

Thattu lost its stall and went back to preorder pop-ups, cooking out of Guild Row's kitchen.

Now

The pop-up model kept the business alive long enough to sign an Avondale lease in 2022 and open in 2023.

Why this matters now

The format Thattu is returning to now is the same one that carried it through its first closure.

July 2011

elBulli closes to become a research foundation (2011)

Ferran Adrià's elBulli on Spain's Costa Brava, repeatedly ranked among the world's most celebrated restaurants, served its final meal in July 2011. Adrià ended regular dinner service rather than keep operating the dining room.

Then

The closure drew wide coverage because the restaurant was at the peak of its reputation.

Now

The site was slated to become a culinary research foundation, shifting the project from service to experimentation.

Why this matters now

Critical acclaim and a full dining room are separate things from a sustainable business, and owners sometimes keep the cooking while dropping the restaurant.