Since the Village Bar and Grill in Buffalo Grove closed in late December, a pair of waitresses at the former business told police that they never received their final paychecks from the owners.
The two waitresses also told Buffalo Grove police in a report filed Dec. 29 that the last paycheck they received Dec. 2 from the owners of the Village Bar and Grill bounced. According to the Buffalo Grove police report, the waitresses also described how 12 to 15 other employees didn’t receive their last two paychecks.
The restaurant operated at the village-owned Buffalo Grove Golf Course but closed before the new year after village officials decided earlier this winter to rent the location to the owners of the Cardone Group, which has plans to renovate the spot into a gastropub called The Wild Buffalo.
Buffalo Grove officers don’t often field reports of a pay dispute between employees and employers, said Deputy Police Chief Roy Bethge. When officers do, they generally regard the conflicts as civil disputes, he said.
“The courts view these issues as contract violations, not criminal matters,” Bethge said.
Co-owner of the former restaurant, Jim Leo, of West Chicago, didn’t return calls for comment regarding the police report. The other owner, Brett Gaylord, hung up after receiving a call for comment from Pioneer Press.
The two also manage a restaurant called The Still Bar and Grill in west suburban Bartlett, according to records with the Illinois Secretary of State’s office. The waitresses who filed the report also didn’t respond to requests for comment.
When Buffalo Grove officers reached out to the owners of the former Village Bar and Grill, they first were told differing accounts about who controlled the finances at the Village Bar and Grill, officers said in the report.
Leo told officers Gaylord handled the financial books and “was unaware of any issues with the payroll,” the police report stated. In a separate phone call with Gaylord, officers were told how Leo was handling the finances for the former Village Bar and Grill.
“Gaylord assured us he would make sure all employees were paid,” the police report stated.
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In 2014, village officials also had concerns about the finances at the Village Bar and Grill after the owners missed several rent and utility payments, and ended up owing the village $33,780, past public records have showed.
Village officials ultimately approved a one-year lease agreement in December 2015 with the owners of the former Buffalo Grove Golf Course restaurant. The deal stipulated deadlines that the owners met to payback the overdue bills, village officials have said.
Regarding the recent paycheck issues with former Village Bar and Grill employees, Geoff Tollefson, who works for Buffalo Grove as head golf professional at the Buffalo Grove Golf Course and the Arboretum Club, said village officials aren’t required to intervene since they never owned and operated the business.
“It’s a matter between them and their employees,” Tollefson said.
Crews also have started work to renovate the former bar and grill. Representatives with the Cardone Group have said they expect to open The Wild Buffalo restaurant later this spring.
Twitter @RonnieAtPioneer