Operating on a short-term contract, a food-service company tasked with managing a restaurant for Buffalo Grove officials wants to make about an $100,000 renovation that may lead to a long-term relationship with the village.
But Buffalo Grove Village Board members have said they want more information before making any decisions.
Representatives with Tap Room Hospitality, a Chicago-area company that manages the village-owned Village Bar & Grill at the Buffalo Grove Golf Course, recently proposed to board members a new, Southern theme for the establishment that, they said, should attract families, non-golfers and players leaving the links.
“At the time it was built, it was current,” Tap House architect Jim Bolender said of the restaurant’s 1960s design. “But it’s been a long time.”
Bolender and Tap Room managing partner Jim Leo said they want to change the restaurant’s name to The Still to fit their Southern theme and make numerous aesthetic changes to the Village Bar & Grill. Leo said the estimated $100,000 in upgrades would require about three months of work.
The company operates several other golf-course restaurants, including one in Bartlett also called The Still, which features a similar Southern theme, they said.
If their plans are approved, they would look to replace the flooring at the Village Bar & Grill with hickory wood, add galvanized metal to the tabletops and introduce a revamped menu with barbecue and hamburgers.
As the proposed name of the bar and grill suggests, stills used for making moonshine would adorn the walls, they said. They also want to rework the bar, focusing on bourbon whiskeys.
“It goes well with golfers,” Leo said.
They also would expand the banquet room, making it large enough to hold parties of 120, both Bolender and Leo said.
The Still in Bartlett already features a similar menu and look at a shopping center storefront. But Buffalo Grove trustees questioned whether the concept would work in their village.
After trustee Andy Stein asked if Tap Room had done a market study, Bolender said they were confident the theme would play well in Buffalo Grove.
“It’s a different area, but it’s proof of concept,” he said. “It’s been well received in Bartlett.”
More Top Picks Reading Comprehension Strategies For Kids Who Decode Well
Tap Room is in the middle of a one-year contract with Buffalo Grove officials. The group has operated the Village Bar & Grill since 2004, but the company ended up owing the village roughly $33,780 after missing several rent and utilities payments, past public records have showed.
This past December village trustees approved a one-year contract because of Leo’s plan to pay back the debt.
Tap Room made all its payments in 2015. If the company did miss an installment, the one-year deal would be terminated, as stated in the contract.
Trustees made no moves on Tap Room’s proposed renovation, and board members referenced how they may look at proposals from other vendors.
Twitter @RonnieAtPioneer