People who work in the Loop are often looking for a quick and affordable lunch.

Some CBS News Chicago colleagues noticed there used to be lots of McDonald's locations in downtown Chicago. But one by one, most have disappeared.

Other restaurant spaces also sit vacant, including the former Minigrow at 28 S. Wabash Ave., and the former Corner Bakery at 35 E. Monroe St. right next to the Palmer House Hotel. There is also nothing in the storefront on the ground floor of the relatively new residential building at the northeast corner of Wabash Avenue and Benton Place — where graffiti can be found on the windows.

All these storefronts are in the heart of the Loop, and the last three are steps from Michigan Avenue and Millennium Park.

Despite this, Michael Edwards, chief executive officer of the Chicago Loop Alliance, said he is not actually getting tired of questions about how the Loop is doing.

"Because every day, there's something new and improved," Edwards said.

Edwards said there are new restaurants, and the Loop's commercial health is rebounding.

"First quarter of this year, a million people came down," said Edwards, "$280 million in economic impact."

Downtown foot traffic on the weekends is even higher than before the pandemic. Consumers are coming.

Still, however, such is not so much the case for commercial tenants. High rent doesn't help.

"We tend to only bring in large retailers — national retailers — and many of them are downsizing," said Edwards.

McDonald's, again, is one company that left a supersized hotel downtown. There used to be a McDonald's on the ground floor of the historic Delaware Building at the northeast corner of Dearborn and Randolph streets, but now there is nothing in that storefront.

There also used to be a McDonald's at 119 N. Wabash Ave., between Randolph and Washington streets. Now there is not.

There also used to be a McDonald's at the northwestern corner of Wabash Avenue and Adams Street, about a block in from the Art Institute of Chicago, which likewise closed.

In March, the McDonald's at 23 S. Clark St. adjacent to the Chase Tower went out of beeswax too.

That makes four McDonald's gone — within a 10-minute walk of each other.

What is going on?

"I think that would be a question for McDonald's," said Illinois Restaurant Association chief executive officer Sam Toia.

CBS News Chicago asked McDonald's. The fast-food giant replied, "Appreciate you reaching out, we will be in touch if we have any updates to share with you."

Interestingly, the global headquarters for McDonald's is located at 110 N. Carpenter St. in the West Loop, only a little over a mile from these former downtown locations. Why is McDonald's hightailing it from its hometown?

Again, there has been no explanation from corporate.

An outside source told CBS News Chicago that crime and tensions with the unhoused were a factor for at least one of the closures.

The Illinois Restaurant Association had another theory.

"I know that since 2020, restaurants have seen an increase of 35% labor costs, 35% purchasing costs, and almost 20% in fixed costs," said Toia.

Now add to the recipe that consumers are cutting back on fast food.

But that doesn't mean new businesses aren't giving it a shot.

Christopher Roldan is betting big on the Loop. He just opened Momento in the old Carson Pirie Scott complex at Wabash Avenue and Monroe Street.

Roldan said he is sometimes scared by the vacancy signs.

"Sometimes, for sure," Roldan said. "You see, you come this way and you're like, I mean, maybe I'm the craziest."

Momento is located right next to the Loop 'L' train. It is a fast-casual taqueria on one side and a sit-down restaurant on the other. It features handmade décor, self-serve liquor, and mouthwatering Mexican food.

"There's this unique thing about the area that you have tourists and locals," Roldan said.

That combo of tourists and locals has done well for the highly Instagrammable Amorino, a gelato franchise that Roldan also owns around the corner at 38 S. Michigan Ave. in the University Club of Chicago building.

Roldan is opening another Amorino in the Loop this summer.

"From all of the 300 [Amorino] locations, 19 countries, this one in Chicago is the number one in sales," Roldan said. "We have proof that this area works."

Roldan has found all the ingredients that at least some investors need to dismiss doubts about the sad for-lease signs downtown.

Meanwhile, McDonald's is pledging to hire 375,000 workers nationwide this summer — 14,000 of them in Illinois. It is the company's biggest hiring initiative in five years.