The last day of operations for McCormick’s Smokehouse Restaurant, located at 2930 Plaza Drive in The Gables, will be Dec. 24, 2018. The restaurant, which includes a drive-thru and delivery service, has operated at the current location for more than 10 years.

Owners Jarred and Sarah McCormick say they have plans to restructure the family-run business and focus more heavily on catering, although they will still offer meals for carry out and delivery from a new location. Last year, the McCormick’s purchased a building at 1510 North 15th Street, which became the food production facility for their catering operations. Carry out and delivery will now be served from that location as well.

“The prospect for growth is just greater there,” explained Jarred. “I have a 4,000 square foot kitchen to work with, compared to my current 1,000 square feet at The Gables. And the catering side of the business is definitely growing.”

Jarred said the Friday walleye dinners and other McCormick’s classics will be offered through the take-out window from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each and every Friday, beginning Jan. 4. He also noted that customers now have the option to order and pay online.

Jarred opened the original McCormick’s Deli in downtown Springfield in 1994 and soon expanded to include catering services. A few years later, the business relocated to the west side of Springfield and later expanded again from a deli to a sit-down restaurant with a more extensive menu. After outgrowing space in a strip mall on West White Oaks Drive, the business moved to its current location in The Gables.

Regarding the upcoming changes, Jarred said, “It’s all about simplifying our lives. My wife and I have been at it for 24 years, and our son has chosen a different career path. We want to streamline the operations to be lean and mean.”

In a written statement announcing the upcoming changes, Jarred said, “We would like to thank all of our friends who have shared our food and been a part of our continued success. We look forward to serving Springfield and downstate Illinois for years to come.”