'Wonderful Memories:' Nature's Best Café Announces Plans To Close

NAPERVILLE, IL — After nearly 10 years in Naperville, Nature's Best Café is set to close for good. The closure, planned for Dec. 20, was announced Monday in a post on the café's Facebook page.

The post read, in part,

"Thank you for almost 10 years of wonderful memories and your patronage. We would not have made it this long without the help of our amazing community. It has been a delight to watch our own kids grow up and to watch the neighborhood kids grow up around us. We loved being a safe space for our youth, a place for celebrations and aplace for first jobs for so many local teens. Thank you for the wonderful memories and your friendship."

Nature's Best Café was opened in 2016 by Simitro Cruz, who aimed to offer fresh and health-conscious meals at the Brookdale Square eatery. With a son and two other family members who have celiac disease, Cruz also tailored the café's menu to offer gluten-free options and focused on preventing cross-contamination with items that contained gluten.

The café also had a catering service and hosted events. Cruz kept the space stocked with board games for customers to play during their visits.

Hundreds of residents reacted to the announcement of the restaurant's closure on social media. Facebook user Luis D. wrote, "It was a home for friends, families and food lovers alike."

Barb K. wrote, "Your restaurant has been a blessing to our family and a wonderful impact on our girls. They loved working for you, and you had a huge influence on them."

Facebook user Sally J. wrote, "We will miss weeing you and the sense of community you built."

Monday's announcement concluded, "It was our dream to open a place 'where someone knows your name,' you are welcomed like family and to provide tasty, healthy food. Thank you for making that dream come true."