Rainforest Cafe’s demise was not entirely unexpected. In December 2019, the Woodfield Mall location was replaced with a Peppa Pig World of Play. When Jon and I went for our fateful meal, the vines covering the walls were dusty. The mist from the wishing well waterfall filled the restaurant with the smell of musty chlorine. Even the animatronic jungle creatures were over it. The leopard’s tail swung slowly; Tracy Tree’s human eyes twitched with exhaustion.
We’re witnessing the downfall of maximalist experiential dining. The Rock ’n’ Roll McDonald‘s fell in 2018, just across the street from Cha Cha’s stalwart gaze. Corny-combative diner Ed Debevic’s got pushed out of River North in 2015. Quick—someone check on Medieval Times!
Maybe that’s what nostalgia culture boils down to: protecting the things we once reviled. And to what end? Rainforest Cafe is owned by Landry’s Inc., a conglomerate owned by a major Trump supporter. I spent hours crawling through rainforestcafe.com to see if the wishing well coins actually support the rainforest. Results inconclusive.
