Aug. 19--"I just can't hold on to it any more," said Sean Sanders on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, Sanders, chef and owner of Browntrout (4111 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-472-4111), announced on Facebook that August 30 will be his 6-year-old restaurant's last day of business.
"There are so many ups and downs in this neighborhood," he said of Browntrout's North Center location. "It's always a bit slower in the summer, but this time, summer business is down 20 percent, and I have no explanation why.
"We've tried really hard, these last few months," he said. "I tried different things, but nothing picked the numbers back up."
In the Facebook post, Sanders said that he and his wife, Nadia, would be "moving on to greener pastures."
Here's hoping.
Phil Vettel is a Tribune critic.
pvettel@tribune.com
Twitter @philvettel
