Charley Horse Restaurant Closes its Doors

The popular Charely Horse Restaurant is dark tonight. The sign on the door reads "closed."

One restaurant employee, who was loading food into a Charley Horse van parked at the rear of the New Lenox eatery, said the restaurant would be reopening under another name. The food was being transferred to other restaurants affiliated with the owner of Charley Horse, Bryan Sord.  

The employee refused to give his name; however, he said the restaurant would be hiring back a number of its current employees. He said some fresh hires were expected, as well. However, he had no details about when the restaurant would reopen. He had no information about  the name change nor the ultimate ownership of the facility.   

In an email to Patch, Sord said Charley Horse officially closed on Monday, Feb. 4. No details about the name change nor the ultimate ownership were immediately provided at the time this story was posted.  

The organizers of events previously booked were offered space at other restaurants. A fundraiser scheduled for Feb. 10 was offered another location, but it was declined, he said.

Gift cards will be honored at The Munster Charley Horse and Orland Park's 94 West.

"No other comment about the future of the Charley Horse, New Lenox location, is available at this time," Sord said.

Charley Horse Restaurant has a bit of a history of opening and closing facilities in the Southwest suburbs.

Mayor Tim Baldermann  said he was unaware of the closure. "I knew that they were talking to perspective buyers, but we had never heard of anything definitive."

A year ago at this time, Peter Gelis, the owner of Frankfort's Jameson's Pub, 9545 W. Saint Francis Road, had requested a liquor license from the Village of New Lenox for the Charley Horse location. The intention was to open an eatery called Van Horne's American Grill. Once New Lenox Village officials discovered that no lease agreement had been signed between Gelis and Sord, the item was eliminated from the agenda.

Benefit organizers upset about Charley Horse closure

Residents of New Lenox who were planning a benefit there are upset over the closing. Rachel Tuley, who was organizing a benefit called TEAM Gladieux for Feb. 10 at the restaurant, said she received an email at 1 p.m. Monday that the restaurant was closed.

With only six days before a benefit, Tuley managed within a few hours to change the location to the American Legion, 14414 W. Ford Drive. The benefit is for her sister, Jeni Gladieux, a teacher at Tyler Elementary School, whose husband, suffered a massive stroke last winter. He formerly taught 6th grade social studies at Oster-Oakview School.

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