Beloved Liquor Store to close after landlord beef
Amidst allegations of landlord pressure and lease violations, a beloved liquor store and event space is reluctantly closing its doors after seven years of serving the community. Your Happy Place Liquors, located at 2501-A N. Milwaukee Ave., is set to shutter its operations on December 8, as announced by its owners, David and Julia Cruz, via social media.
The Cruzes maintain that their landlord, Michael Schwartz of SNS Realty Group, orchestrated their eviction to accommodate the expansion plans of a neighboring business, Phayes, situated at 2501-B N. Milwaukee Ave. They assert that Phayes’ owner, Heidi Hayes, has relentlessly pursued their space, as conveyed on their Instagram post. Here, they started by writing: “With heavy hearts, we announce the closure of Your Happy Place Chicago.”
Hayes acknowledged her search for a larger location and confirmed that Schwartz had recommended Your Happy Place’s storefront. Both Hayes and Schwartz independently approached the Cruzes with relocation offers over the past few months, which the Cruzes declined due to unfavorable terms.
Further complicating the situation, Schwartz discovered that Your Happy Place was in violation of its lease by selling vape-related CBD products.
Additionally, the Cruzes and Schwartz have been embroiled in rent disputes. Cruz claimed he was inexplicably barred from paying their September rent online, while Schwartz countered that the couple owed back rent from their business’s inception.
