This summer in Chicago, my son and I used Google Maps to find a restaurant within walking distance.
“It shows pizza by the slice on Couch and Wells.”
“Perfect. Let’s go.”
Clomp clomp clomp clomp clomp clomp…
“Wait. Now the map says it’s a Cuban place?”
“Excellent! Vamanos!”
Clompclompclompclompclompclomp…
“Wait. Now the map says it’s BBQ? Are we lost?”
What happened to the fabled Cubanos? Apparently, it went the way of the fabled BBQ.
Gone.
All that remained was the fire-engine red bar dangling a fire-engine red sign frame, which on August 14, 2023, held the pizza by the slice we had seen from blocks away.
Don’t take my word for it. Google map 176 N Wells and scoot around on street view. You’ll see the restaurant change hands right before your eyes.
If you zoom waaaaaaayyy in on the fine print at the bottom right of these pictures, you’ll see the date each one was taken by the drive-by Google cam:
August 2014 June 2018 August 2021
No telling how many other restaurants came and went between photo shoots. Poor Google. They just can’t keep up with the pace of modern life.