Palms Grill in Atlanta closes due to tourism falloff

 

[August 04, 2020] 

On Sunday, August 2nd, the Palms Grill in Atlanta was open for business for the last time in the foreseeable future.

The small destination diner was a popular spot for Route 66 tourists traveling the Mother Road, so much so that the Grill relied heavily on those tourists for its financial stability. With the onset of the Coronavirus Pandemic, Illinois was one of the many states who encouraged people to stay at home and not take in summertime travel this year. With that came a huge reduction in travels through Logan County, including for Atlanta, Lincoln, Elkhart and Mount Pulaski, and a great deal of financial loss.

“As you know,” said Bill Thomas, “a large part of our business is from Route 66 travelers and the many bus tours who come to Atlanta every year. All of the tours scheduled for this year had to cancel and the number of travelers has been minimal. The pandemic has also reduced our ability to hold dinner programs and music events - further diminishing our ability to cover operating expenses. In short, we have been left with no option but to close.”

Thomas said that staff at the grill have moved on to other positions, and there are no plans in the foreseeable future to attempt to re-open the restaurant. However, it is also hoped that the pandemic will go to the wayside at some point in time, and then the owners of the grill building, the Atlanta Public Library, may revisit the situation and attempt a re-opening.
 

Thomas is hopeful that will be the case and stated, “If people would like to contact the Atlanta Public Library to encourage them to make plans to reopen The Grill, the contact information is as follows: Phone: [phone] or email them at [e-mail]

Thomas also said he would like to express appreciation to all the local patrons who have supported the Palms over the years, and is hopeful that someday the little dinner may be able to stage a comeback.

[Nila Smith with excerpts from Bill Thomas]