The initials S.K.Y. belong to Chef Gillanders' wife, Seon Kyung Yuk, after whom the restaurant is named. Gillanders had always envisioned opening his first restaurant in his hometown of Los Angeles, CA. But during Gillanders' tenure at Intro in Chicago, which served as the testing ground for his own restaurant concept, the couple discovered their affinity for Chicago and decided it was home-- and the future home of S.K.Y.

 

After a year and a half as Chef/Partner at Intro, Gillanders was ready to realize his dream of opening his own restaurant. He and his wife toured over 20 restaurant spaces all over the city before they finally found the perfect location for S.K.Y. in the robust Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. 

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On March 19th of 2025, S.K.Y. had its last service in its original Pilsen location, as Gillanders and his team are preparing to reopen the restaurant in its new home inside the historic Belden-Stratford building in Lincoln Park in Summer 2025.