Farmers Park restaurant Progress to close

A popular restaurant in southeast Springfield is closing up shop after nearly five years in operation.

Progress, which operates in Farmers Park, has set June 30 as its last day, according to a statement provided by Cassidy Rollins, co-owner and general manager, and Daniel Ernce, co-owner and executive chef.

"All good things must come to an end. For Progress, with our lease terms drawing near, we have made the extremely difficult decision to close our doors," the statement reads. "The time has come for us to move into new opportunities which call us beyond Progress and outside Springfield."

Rollins was unavailable for follow-up comment by deadline.

The statement indicates Progress' menu will change often until its last day next month. The restaurant's current dinner menu includes chicken, eggplant, pork and steak dishes, according to its website.

Progress opened in October 2018 at 2144 E. Republic Road, Ste. B-101, in Farmers Park. The restaurant filled 4,800 square feet previously operated by Metropolitan Farmer, according to past reporting.

The upstairs area of the building, which previously was home to Progress' bar venture Reverie, recently was taken over by a new restaurant called Traza.

Progress began in 2016 as a series of pop-up dinners by the same name, according to past reporting.

“Progress really is a space for the community to come have dinner together,” Ernce said when the Farmers Park restaurant opened in 2018. “We want to be approachable, and we’re really passionate about our community.”