Olga’s closing in Alton, but its Mediterranean favorites are Belleville bound
Olga’s Kitchen, a Michigan-based Mediterranean restaurant, will close its last Illinois location at Alton Square Mall later this month, ending a 45-year run. The restaurant’s final day of operation is Dec. 28.
However, fans of Olga’s signature Snackers will still be able to enjoy the popular dish through a new partnership with Mac’s Downtown Alton, set to begin Dec. 29. The partnership will bring select Olga’s Kitchen items to the menus at Mac’s in Alton and a second, soon-to-open location in Belleville.
“They’ve been great to work with,” Mac’s owner Rob Lenhardt said of Olga’s during a phone interview with the News-Democrat.
Lenhardt said Olga’s approached him about a partnership as the longtime restaurant was “regrouping and looking at getting out of the mall spaces.” Initially, he wanted time to consider the logistics and details. After a week, he agreed, saying, “I thought it would be good for business. It fit the overall business model for me.”
With the addition of Olga’s menu items, Mac’s Downtown Alton will be able to attract more customers during lunch, which has a “different clientele” than dinner, Lenhardt said.
The limited Olga’s menu at Mac’s will feature some of the most popular items, such as the Original Olga and Olga’s Snackers Basket, which have historically driven most of Olga’s sales, according to Lenhardt.
Other items include the Three Cheese Olga, Ham & Cheese Olga, Fried Chicken Olga, Olga’s Peasant Soup, Cream of Broccoli Soup, Chili, and Olga’s Seasoned Curly Fries. Menu updates will soon introduce Olga’s Spinach & Cheese Pie and White Bean Chicken Chili, Lenhardt said.
Mac’s to bring Olga’s Kitchen – and more – to Belleville
Lenhardt is in the process of acquiring properties at 4204 and 4130 W. Main St. in Belleville. He said expanding in Belleville was already in the works before Olga’s proposed the partnership.
“I thought Mac’s in Belleville would be a hit,” he said, adding that offering Olga’s items would make a significant impact.
The 7,200-square-foot facility at 4204 W. Main St., former site of the 4204 Main Street Brewing Company, will open in late spring 2026 as Mac’s on Main/Olga’s.
In addition to the Olga’s menu that will be on offer in Alton, Mac’s on Main/Olga’s will also offer about 90% of the Mac’s Downtown menu, which includes a variety of appetizers, salads, munchies like wings, sliders and tacos, burgers, pizza, sandwiches, fish, steak and more.
Mac’s on Main/Olga’s will not be identical to the Alton location but will be tailored to the Belleville market, Lenhardt said. He stressed that it would not be just another chain restaurant, and that the business is committed to engaging with the community throughout the year.
The West Main Street location will include a bar, restaurant, and event space. Lenhardt said there is a need in Belleville for a large venue for weddings, private parties, and eventually entertainment events — a need Mac’s on Main/Olga’s aims to meet.
While Mac’s Downtown Alton currently offers catering services, catering will not be available at Mac’s on Main/Olga’s during its first year of operation. Lenhardt said his focus will be on refining the restaurant, dining, and bar experience first.
Lenhardt also has plans for the building at 4130 W. Main St., which was once part of the 4204 Main Street Brewing Company and utilized as a canning facility.
That property will become Mini’s, a smaller version of Mini Corral in Godfrey. The concept for Mini’s will be similar to Smalls Sliders, in that the menu will include only four or five items consisting of items like sliders, fries and milkshakes, said Lenhardt.
The target opening for Mini’s is later in 2026.
About Olga’s Kitchen
The concept for Olga’s Kitchen was born in the mid-1960’s in Detroit, Michigan, when founder Olga Loizon “returned to the Mediterranean to visit her family,” according to the company’s website.
The restaurant was established in 1970 after Loizon became the first woman to receive a business loan from Detroit Bank & Trust.
During a visit to a local market square, her three small children tasted their first souvlaki, a traditional Greek sandwich of meat and vegetables wrapped in fresh pita bread. The experience inspired Loizon to start a business back in Michigan.
The business peaked in the 1980s with more than 50 sit-down restaurants at shopping malls in multiple states.
There are currently 30 other Olga’s locations in operation—29 restaurants in Michigan and one Holland, Ohio, location that opened in spring 2024 and offers delivery and carryout only.
Olga’s Kitchen at Alton Square opened within the few years following the mall’s fall 1978 opening.
An Olga’s location opened at St. Clair Square mall in Fairview Heights in May 1979 and operated until its closure in January 2015. At the time of Fairview Heights closing, a sign posted outside the restaurant encouraged patrons to visit its Alton Square location.
To learn more about Olga’s Kitchen, visit olgas.com.
About Mac’s Downtown Alton
Mac’s Downtown Alton is located at 315 Belle St., Alton. Owned by the father-and-son team of Mac and Ron Lenhardt, the business was established in the early 1980s. It now consists of seven buildings spanning an entire block from 3rd to 4th streets along Belle Street to Piasa Street.
The business portfolio includes Mac’s on 4th Market in Alton, Mac’s on Ferguson Market in Wood River, and Mini Corral—formerly Mac’s Pizza & Poker—in Godfrey. Mac’s Downtown acquired the Mini Corral brand and its recipes in 2021.
For more information about Mac’s Downtown Alton, visit macsdowntown.com or the business’ Facebook page.
