Is Copper Still Restaurant Still Open? Restaurant: Impossible (FN) Update

Restaurant: Impossible (Food Network) made a surprise visit to Copper Still CD Vodka Lounge and Eatery in Crestwood, Illinois, for the episode "Ambush: Eyes on the Surprise," which aired November 5, 2015, as season 12, episode 3. Bar manager Stephanie contacted the show for help on behalf of owners Christina and her husband Dominic, whose business had not turned a profit in the roughly eight months since it opened. According to the episode's account, the business's financial strain had also placed stress on the owners' marriage.

Because host Robert Irvine attempted a double ambush by arriving unannounced, Stephanie was upset at being left out of the plan and initially declined to assist, leaving Irvine to work through the venue's financial and operational problems largely on his own. As shown in the episode, items were taken from the site during the renovation window, adding to the on-air challenges. Irvine's team renovated the physical space, retrained staff, and introduced a set of distinctive menu items that the episode's account described as gaining quick popularity with customers.

Coverage located during this research pass did not include a dated 2026 source confirming whether the Crestwood location, at 14301 South Cicero Avenue, remains in operation. A TripAdvisor listing page for the business remains active online but does not carry a clear, recently dated statement of operating status. Search results also surfaced a similarly named Copper Still Martini Bar & Lounge in nearby Homewood, Illinois, and an unrelated business called The Copper Still in St. John, Indiana, that is separately marked closed; it was not possible to confirm from available sources whether the Homewood listing represents a relocation of the Crestwood business, a separate location under common ownership, or an unrelated business, so this record's status is treated as unresolved rather than assumed open or closed. Given the mix of an active but undated TripAdvisor listing and an unresolved relationship to the Homewood location, this record intentionally avoids assigning an open or closed status and instead records the status as unresolved pending clearer, independently dated confirmation.