OAK LAWN, IL — After 40 years, Tom Papadopoulos is hanging it up. Following weeks of speculation, Papadopoulos announced Wednesday on Facebook that he is closing the doors of Jedi’s Garden Restaurant.
For more than four decades, Jedi’s anchored the corner of Cicero and 92nd Street. It offered a menu of hundreds of items, where you could get a Denver omelette, steak dinner, or a Jedi’s garbage salad regardless of the time of day. The fried fish platter was a particular favorite.
Jedi’s drew diners from all walks of life, with Teslas, Cadillacs, and 10-year-old Chevy’s parked in the parking lot. The customers were also an interesting mix, and one couldn’t leave the restaurant without having at least one interesting conversation.
“When I opened Jedis all those years ago, I was younger, hopeful, and honestly unsure of what the future would bring,” Papadopoulos said on Facebook. “I put everything I had into this place—early mornings, late nights, missed holidays, tired days, and endless hard work all because I believed in this restaurant and in the community around it. What I never expected was how deeply Jedis would become part of my life, and how many of you would become part of my family.”
The tables at Jedi’s were the scenes of anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, first dates and repast meals of mercy after a funeral. Over the years, Papadopoulos watched a generation of Oak Lawn kids grow up.
Papadopoulos said that closing his American dream – his beloved Jedi’s – was not an easy decision.
“Oak Lawn has been my home for 40 years, and the love, loyalty, and support you’ve shown me and my family is something I will forever be grateful for,” he said. “Thank you for supporting my dream, for standing by us, and for allowing Jedis to be part of your lives for so long.”
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