Champps Restaurant & Bar at Eastview Mall has closed after more than 20 years.
“We anticipated the closing of Champps, and although we do not want to see them leave, we understand that this was one of the last Champps in the country still operating,” mall owner Wilmorite said in a statement. “We have been actively pursuing a replacement but cannot announce anything at this time.”
Wilmorite added that it did not increase Champps’ rent.
Founded in 1984 in St. Paul, Minnesota, Champps grew into a chain with dozens of locations nationwide. It began struggling after 2010, leading to the first wave of closings and bankruptcy proceedings. It now lists one location in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, on its website.
The Eastview Champps occupied 10,610 square feet in a 64,000-square-foot wing that opened in 2003.
At that time, it was described as the mall’s largest restaurant and employed 180 people.
With an upscale sports-bar vibe, Champps had big-screen TVs tuned to sporting events and hosted an annual Super Bowl party.
The open kitchen made such casual American staples as the Philly cheesesteak sandwich and higher-end fare like the New York strip steak and salmon.
Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers the grocery business and consumer-focused grocery news, as well as retail development, openings and closings. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on X @MarciaGreenwood.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Upscale sports bar and restaurant closes at Eastview Mall after 23 years
Reporting by Marcia Greenwood, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Marcia Greenwood, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | USA TODAY Network
