May 19--Rev Burger, which touted healthy hamburgers and lower-calorie accompaniments, has gone out of business.
It recently closed its River North location, which opened last year at 22 W. Ohio St., and it earlier shuttered its only other restaurant, in suburban Carol Stream.
"Unfortunately, we weren't able to generate enough sales or excitement about the concept to keep it going," said Chicago entrepreneur and Rev Burger owner William Spatz.
Diners who tried Rev Burger "really liked it," he said. Its menu touted "grass-fed beef raised in a stress-free environment," with "no hormones or antibiotics." Meat was "hand formed, never frozen, and seasoned on-site."
Its "us vs. them" menu directly compared its burgers against those made by Epic Burger, Portillo's, Shake Shack, 5 Guys and Smashburger, detailing what Rev Burger believed were the disadvantages of each rival's products.
It also said its "fry-less seasoned fries" had half the calories of those at Epic Burger, Shake Shack, Smashburger, McDonald's, Chick-fil-A, 5 Guys and Wendy's. It said its shakes had 40 percent fewer calories than those of the same size at Shake Shack and Epic Burger.
A Rev Burger patron could have a "Lil" Rev Burger, fry-less fries and a frozen-yogurt shake for a total of 812 calories, it said.
"But there just weren't enough bodies," Spatz said. Rev Burger "needed better promoting and we weren't up to the task."
Its Twitter account, @rev_burger, tweeted out the update on May 16. "Both of our Rev Burger locations have now closed," it tweeted. "Thank you all for your support and stay tuned for new ventures!"
Rev Burger's Carol Stream restaurant, which closed earlier, is now occupied by a burrito restaurant, he said.
Spatz is involved in a variety of business ventures.
"We also produced the play 'Churchill,' which started running in New York City in February and will run at least through September," Spatz said.
"Churchill," about the British wartime leader, was first produced last summer at the Greenhouse Theater Center on Chicago's North Side. The New York venture is billed as "originally produced by the Greenhouse Theater Center, SoloChicago, and the Wendy and William Spatz Charitable Foundation, with the support and permission of The Churchill Centre."
byerak@tribpub.com
