Tapas Gitana’s departure makes another vacant space in Northfield Village Center

After nearly 30 years, Tapas Gitana: A Taste of Spain in Northfield closed for good at the end of 2024.

Chef and business owner Andrew Novak wrote on Facebook in December 2024 that “our hearts are heavy as we prepare to say goodbye.”

“Tapas Gitana has been more than just a restaurant; it has been a gathering place for family, friends, and celebrations,” he wrote to customers. “Over the past three decades, we’ve shared countless memories, laughter, and joy with each and every one of you.”

The small-bites restaurant, 310 N. Happ Road, opened in Northfield in 1997. Before then, the same space was home to another tapas restaurant, Mesón Sabika, which still has a location in Naperville.

Tapas Gitana offered dozens of hot and cold tapas plates, as well as paella and desserts. Novak, the restaurant’s most recent owner, thanked customers in his social media message before Tapas Gitana closed.

“Thank you for allowing us to serve you, for supporting our dream, and for being part of our journey. We will carry the memories of these years in our hearts forever,” he wrote.

The closing results in at least the third ground-level vacancy in the Northfield Village Center shopping center. At 300 Happ Road, National brand and building anchor Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, which has other Illinois locations (Deer Park, Libertyville, etc.), closed its Northfield location in April 2024, and neighbor Body and Sole dance boutique closed in late 2023.

Chicago-based real-estate firm Beal Properties owns Northfield Village Center (300-310 Happ Road).

Winnetka resident Kim Smith and her mother, Nancy, took over the Rocky Mountain Northfield location in 2007. In a message to customers in March 2024, Smith wrote in part:

“For the past almost 17 years, I have had the opportunity to serve the most delicious chocolate treats and gifts to the amazing community of Northfield and its surrounding communities.”

Body and Sole existed in Winnetka’s Hubbard Woods business district for more than 40 years (1974-2015), when it moved to Northfield.

Northfield Village Manager Patrick Brennan told The REcord via email that the village is active in helping the property owners find prospective tenants for the vacancies.

“We have received several inquiries and forwarded those along to Beal Properties,” Brennan wrote. “I am not sure what tenant leads they may be pursuing currently. The Tapas Gitana site has an inviting area for outdoor dining and ample parking. We hope that someone will discover its charm in the near future.”

The Record is a nonprofit, nonpartisan community newsroom that relies on reader support to fuel its independent local journalism.

Subscribe to The Record to fund responsible news coverage for your community.

Already a subscriber? You can make a tax-deductible donation at any time.