3 days ago
Chicago's First Dedicated Dosa Stall Is Closing
is the James Beard Award-winning regional editor for Eater's Midwest region, and in charge of coverage in Chicago, Detroit, and the Twin Cities. He's a native Chicagoan and has been with Eater since 2014.
Chicago's first dedicated dosa stall, Art of Dosa, is closing after six years in the Loop. The vegan restaurant, which debuted six years ago in the former Revival Food Hall (now known as Sterling Food Hall), provided Downtown Chicago with a reliable quick-serve vegan option, which was especially valuable for office workers.
The stall's last day is Friday, August 1, as Art of Dosa's Ravi Nagubadi and Sterling Food Hall's operators, STHRN Hospitality, weren't able to reach a lease extension. Nagubadi says he feels a mix of regret and frustration as this chapter closes.
'I feel we brought dosas up a new level,' Nagubadi says.
For years, dosa has been available at Indian restaurants along Devon Avenue and other spots, but Nagubadi was the first to zero in on the item made of fermented batter that's naturally gluten-free.
'We did something special — we started this fast-casual dosa concept that nobody's really been able to get down,' he says. 'And it worked. It's just too bad that the pandemic happened and changed the trajectory of things.'
COVID arrived in March 2020, four months after the opening, and sapped Nagubadi and company of the years of momentum he had built while being a regular on the festival circuit with appearances at events like Veggie Fest and Riot Fest. It was a tight operation, one that included his mother, Aruna.
Pandemic policies crushed downtown traffic with the rise of work from home. Confusion erupted last year as rumors of the food hall's closure spread, but the result was a new management company arriving with a name change. Nagubadi says year-to-year sales were down 40 percent during a choppy transition.
Nagubadi, an engineer by trade, invested about $400,000 into the stall to make it stand out among the food hall's options and to ensure consistency. But as food hall traffic snarled, he says he didn't get a chance to recoup those expenses. He says he carved out a good deal with Sterling's operators, STHRN Hospitality, one with a low commission. But it wasn't enough.
Dosa, much to Nagubadi's chagrin, is often compared to a crepe. It comes in various forms — crispy or slightly chewy with stuffed with various ingredients. The most popular option is spiced (masala) potatoes. Nagubadi introduced creative vegan offerings, including a slightly spicy Buffalo wing-flavored soy protein; he grew up in Buffalo, New York. If folks wanted real heat, they could opt for a variety of gunpowder spices on the side.
Dosa is a staple of South Indian cuisine, and Art of Dosa has been part of Chicago's education, leading to the current boom of restaurants, including spots like Trilokah in Lincoln Park, Mintza on Devon, and Thattu in Avondale.
A rep from STHRN tells Eater that the Art of Dosa declined to extend its lease. In an email, STHRN also announced a pair of additions. Saffron Street, an Indian restaurant with a stall at From Here On, the food hall managed by Revival's old operators — 16' on Center — is on its way. Though it's not pure vegetarian like Art of Dosa, it could satisfy an itch for South Asian cuisine.
The other news shouldn't be a huge surprise. The owners of Danke, an original tenant of Revival Food Hall, are opening a pizzeria. Matt Sussman, who runs a pair of Logan Square restaurants — Table, Donkey and Stick; and Bar Parisette — is a huge fan of pizza. In 2020, while pandemic policies shut down dining rooms, Table, Donkey and Stick began running takeout operations and selling a delicious Detroit-style pizza. A trio of pizza concepts has come and gone inside the food hall. It opened with Union Squared, a Chicago spinoff of the popular suburban Evanston spot. Steve Dolinsky, the former Hungry Hound and Food Guy, attempted to bring attention to his Pizza City USA venture with a slate of rotating vendors. Most recently, Dimo's Pizza set up shop.
Last year, Revival Food Hall's founders, 16' on Center, departed the building as STHRN was brought on, and the venue was renamed. Sterling Food Hall has endured a precarious time for restaurants. In a downer, they were unable to bring over Umamicue, a Vietnamese-inspired smoked meats operation.
Art of Dosa brought members of the South Asian and vegan communities together, and members of both parties have been vocal with their support. While the food hall bubble appears ruptured, Nagubadi isn't ruling out a comeback. But he needs a recharge: 'There will be a new chapter,' Nagubadi says. 'We just don't know when.'
Art of Dosa at Sterling Food Hall, 125 S. Clark Street, closing on Friday, August 1
