White Eagle Events and Convention Center in Niles, which hosted dinners for numerous celebrities, a pope and a president, will permanently close at the end of the year.

Ted Przybylo opened the business in 1947 in Chicago and moved it to Milwaukee Avenue in the suburbs in 1967.

The iconic banquet hall and restaurant was a staple in the Polish community — perhaps best known for its mushroom-barley soup. And it was a common spot for funeral receptions, located across from a Polish cemetery.

“Whether you joined us for a holiday brunch, stopped by to pick up some of our famous mushroom-barley soup, or celebrated a milestone event here, we’d like to thank you for being part of our story,” a closure notice on its website headlined with, “End of an Era,” and, “Saying Goodbye to a Niles Landmark

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