The last time Billy Corgan, leader of the Chicago alternative rock band Smashing Pumpkins, made local streets-related headlines, it was for good news. In May 2022, his wife Chloé Mendel Corgan bought him the classic 1930s neon sign for Orange Garden Chinese restaurant, still open at 1942 W. Irving Park Rd. in the city's North Center neighborhood, where he used to live. Billy Corgan had the sign installed at Madame Zuzu's Tea Shop, the popular vegan-friendly cafe and concert venue he owns at 1876 First St. in north-suburban Highland Park.
There were much more troubling headlines about their family this morning, after a motorist drove into a window of the tea shop on Wednesday, when Billy Corgan's mother-in-law Jenny and young son Augustus were having lunch there. While the child escaped injury, Mendel Corgan's mother and the driver were hospitalized.
According to a post on the City of Highland Park Facebook page, the collision happened Wednesday, October 30, around 11:40 AM. The statement said, "the driver of the vehicle and a patron of the restaurant, were transported for treatment." The post also said the crash appeared to be accidental.
Obviously, that wouldn't exonerate the driver if it's determined that any reckless or negligent behavior caused this disaster. According to a Chicago Tribune report by Clifford Ward, the owner of a bagel shop next door "said he heard that the man driving the Mini Cooper may have suffered a medical emergency in the moments before the crash."
Mendel Corgan posted on Instagram that the motorist "drove over the curb and into Madame ZuZu's, crashing through the window and sadly injuring one person – my mother Jenny, who was spending the day and lunching with my son Augustus. Thankfully [Augustus] was able to leap out of the way and was not injured." She added that the restaurant would be closed until further notice.
According to a Chicago Sun-Times report by Emmanuel Camarillo, the window area was boarded up that afternoon, and a disaster cleanup company was addressing the damage with brooms and shovels. A sign on the door read, "ZuZu's is closed."
Thankfully, Mendel Corgan posted some happier news on Instagram this morning. "Madame Zuzu's is open today, and we're excited to celebrate Halloween with you!" she said. "My mom is home and recovering, and we're incredibly grateful for the support from our team, everyone who helped prepare our space, and all who reached out with kind words."
It's a relief that this crash didn't do more harm. If the driver had been piloting a larger vehicle, such as an SUV, there might have been more serious or fatal injuries.
But, disturbingly, this was at least the third recent incident in which a driver crashed into a Chicagoland restaurant, shutting it down.
On June 23, a northbound driver blew a stoplight at Montrose Avenue and Clark Street in Chicago's Uptown, struck another car, and veered into the facade of Anna Maria Pasteria, 4400 N. Clark St., according to Block Club Chicago. The offending motorist, a 27-year-old man, was cited for disobeying the light, and driving without insurance or registration. He was hospitalized with back and neck pain. Earlier this month, the 35-years-old-plus restaurant permanently closed.
Six days after the Italian restaurant crash, on June 29, another car driver ran a red light, struck another vehicle, and careened into Alexander’s Diner, 6158 N. Clark Street in the city's Edgewater neighborhood, Block Club reported. While there were no reported injuries, the eatery had to close temporarily. The motorist was ticketed for disobeying the stoplight and failure to reduce speed.
It's important to remember that catastrophes like these would be less common if Chicagoland's transportation network was less car-centric, and it was easier to get around without driving.
Read more coverage of the Madame ZuZu's crash from NBC Chicago, Rolling Stone, Billboard, and NME. (Thanks to A.J. LaTrace for compiling these links in this morning's Streetsblog Chicago Today's Headlines post.)
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