Dairy Barn Will Not Reopen After Temporarily Closing In Late 2022

OSWEGO, IL — Dairy Barn in downtown Oswego will not reopen, owners announced. The ice cream shop temporarily closed for the season in November 2022.

In a Facebook post April 3, the store announced its owners, Turn2, LLC, was dissolved after one of the partners had to step away for "personal reasons."

"As we're sure many of you have experienced, sometimes life takes unexpected turns," owners said.

The announcement comes about a year after the ice cream parlor and neighborhood hangout spot opened on Main Street, occupying the lot once belonging to the beloved Dairy Hut.

The restaurant closed for the winter season despite original intentions to remain open year-round, Patch reported. Owners cited a difficult first year due to increased food and labor costs, according to Shaw Local.

The 5,000-square-foot space was built on the site of the longtime home of Dairy Hut, at 121 Main St. The former parlor was demolished once the business closed in August 2019 after nearly 60 years of operation.

RELATED: Oswego's Dairy Hut Will Make Way For Dairy Barn

"We want to make sure to keep the original intent [of the site]," Mike Mann, development firm Imperial Investment's director of development, told Patch in 2019. "You can't take an ice cream shop out of downtown Oswego."

Beyond ice cream, Dairy Barn's menu also offered pizza, burgers, hot dogs, and various sides, including fries, mozzarella sticks and onion rings.