Remodeling a former downtown restaurant into a new one may get back on track soon, more than a month after city inspectors brought the project to halt.

A hard-to-miss “STOP WORK” order was posted on the door at 720 Clark Street on August 26, saying activity inside was “in violation of City Ordinances.”

“All constrution work is prohibited,” the order stated, until the City approves what needs to be done. Cleanup work was allowed to continue.

The location is being renovated into the Mas Salud Kitchen and Bar, in a building once occupied by Clarke’s diner.

According to City spokesperson Patrick Deignan, the stop work order was put up “after a City inspector noticed that the bar inside the kitchen area was installed without permits.”

Deignan tells Evanston Now that a “work without permit” fee will be assessed before the permit is issued, “which is currrently under review.”

He adds that the fee is $250 or possibly more, depending on the valuation of the work approved in the permit.

Mas Salud Kitchen has a co-owned restaurant in Chicago. An employee who answered the phone said he anticipated the Evanston permit question could possibly be resolved this week. He also referred us to the restaurant owner, but we have not yet received a response to our voicemail message.

Jeff Hirsh joined the Evanston Now reporting team in 2020 after a 40-year award-winning career as a broadcast journalist in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Leave a comment

The goal of our comment policy is to make the comments section a vibrant yet civil space. Treat each other with respect — even the people you disagree with. Whenever possible, provide links to credible documentary evidence to back up your factual claims.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *