{"id":99594,"date":"2025-07-28T14:40:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T14:40:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/99594\/"},"modified":"2025-07-28T14:40:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T14:40:09","slug":"art-of-dosa-to-close-at-sterling-food-hall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/99594\/","title":{"rendered":"Art of Dosa to Close at Sterling Food Hall"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chicago\u2019s first dedicated dosa stall<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n

The stall\u2019s last day is Friday, August 1, as Art of Dosa\u2019s Ravi Nagubadi and Sterling Food Hall\u2019s operators, STHRN Hospitality, weren\u2019t able to reach a lease extension. Nagubadi says he feels a mix of regret and frustration as this chapter closes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel we brought dosas up a new level,\u201d Nagubadi says.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s naturally gluten-free.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did something special \u2014 we started this fast-casual dosa concept that nobody\u2019s really been able to get down,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd it worked. It\u2019s just too bad that the pandemic happened and changed the trajectory of things.\u201d<\/p>\n

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<\/a> and Riot Fest. It was a tight operation, one that included his mother, Aruna.<\/p>\n

Pandemic policies crushed downtown traffic with the rise of work from home. Confusion erupted last year as rumors of the food hall\u2019s closure spread, but the result was a new management company arriving<\/a> with a name change. Nagubadi says year-to-year sales were down 40 percent during a choppy transition.<\/p>\n

Nagubadi, an engineer by trade, invested about $400,000 into the stall to make it stand out among the food hall\u2019s options and to ensure consistency. But as food hall traffic snarled, he says he didn\u2019t get a chance to recoup those expenses. He says he carved out a good deal with Sterling\u2019s operators, STHRN Hospitality, one with a low commission. But it wasn\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n

Dosa, much to Nagubadi\u2019s chagrin, is often compared to a crepe. It comes in various forms \u2014 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.<\/p>\n

Dosa is a staple of South Indian cuisine, and Art of Dosa has been part of Chicago\u2019s education, leading to the current boom of restaurants, including spots like Trilokah<\/a> in Lincoln Park, Mintza on Devon, and Thattu<\/a> in Avondale.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>, an Indian restaurant with a stall at From Here On<\/a>, the food hall managed by Revival\u2019s old operators \u2014 16\u201d on Center \u2014 is on its way. Though it\u2019s not pure vegetarian like Art of Dosa, it could satisfy an itch for South Asian cuisine.<\/p>\n

The other news shouldn\u2019t be a huge surprise. The owners of Danke<\/a>, an original tenant of Revival Food Hall, are opening a pizzeria. Matt Sussman, who runs a pair of Logan Square restaurants \u2014 Table, Donkey and Stick; and Bar Parisette<\/a> \u2014 is a huge fan of pizza. In 2020, while pandemic policies shut down dining rooms, Table, Donkey and Stick<\/a> 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 spo<\/a>t. Steve Dolinsky, the former Hungry Hound and Food Guy, attempted to bring attention to his Pizza City USA<\/a> venture with a slate of rotating vendors. Most recently, Dimo\u2019s Pizza<\/a> set up shop.<\/p>\n

Last year, Revival Food Hall\u2019s founders<\/a>, 16\u201d 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\u2019t ruling out a comeback. But he needs a recharge: \u201cThere will be a new chapter,\u201d Nagubadi says. \u201cWe just don\u2019t know when.\u201d<\/p>\n

Art of Dosa<\/a> at Sterling Food Hall, 125 S. Clark Street, closing on Friday, August 1<\/p>\n