Five months after Gale Street Inn abruptly closed, the Jefferson Park institution has a new owner who plans to reopen the restaurant in December.

Paulo Villabona, 50, purchased the restaurant in a deal that closed Saturday. He bought the eatery with the help of two family members, who are silent partners.

Villabona, who has lived in Jefferson Park with his wife and two daughters since 2019, has worked in the restaurant industry for 36 years. He started as a dishwasher then moved to line cook, server and bartender before becoming general manager of Bar Siena at Old Orchard Mall in Skokie.

“It’s been a long-time dream,” Villabona said, of being a restaurant owner.

He was considering opening a place in Jefferson Park when he learned that Gale Street Inn closed — reaching out to the former

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