Restaurant space in the heart of downtown Morton, vacant since October, will be filled again.
Verandah Cocina Latina closed abruptly in October, just before Morton High School's Homecoming weekend, forcing several students to scramble for restaurant reservations elsewhere.
Verandah closed because a new owner had purchased the space at 120 W. Jefferson St. on the street level of the upscale Jefferson Place apartment complex, and taken over the lease payments.
"I knew they [Verandah owners] had been looking to sell the space for a couple months," said Drew Leman of building owner Leman Property Management. "I didn't know they'd be doing a hard close when they did it.
"There were concerns about how the restaurant was doing. We gave them money to help them provide outdoor seating."
There's good news on the backside of this story, according to Leman.
He said the new owner of the space is a local woman who is known to the area, and she'll be opening a small, craft Mexican restaurant, hopefully by mid-March.
"All she's waiting for is the approval of her liquor license," Leman said. "I think the community will be excited about this restaurant and the owner will be a great fit."
Verandah was the second owner of the space. The first was Unum Fine Wine & Whiskey, which opened in 2018.
Armando and Isaac Velazquez opened Verandah in February 2024, so the restaurant was in business less than two years when it closed. Verandah featured Mexican and American food.
Isaac operated the restaurant because his father often traveled between California and Illinois.
