A name like The Village Squire suggests merry olde England, quite unlike the folks who own and operate this local four-restaurant chain.
“My family comes from the typical immigrant story,” said Bob Karas, owner and general manager of the South Elgin location. “When my dad first came to America, there were all Greeks in the restaurants and all the owners were Jewish. My dad knew no English and had no money. In most of the kitchens, Greek was fluent.
“So my dad was washing dishes, working two jobs, and he saved his money and worked hard. Ten years later my uncle George followed.”
Today, the Karas family owns three chains encompassing 10 restaurants in the northwest suburbs. The South Elgin location is the newest of The Village Squire establishments.
“We bought the restaurant with the name in 1974 in West Dundee. It was more of a 10-items-on-the-menu kind of place, dark and dreary. But it was always fun. We liked the name, so we kept it.”
The Karas brothers eventually expanded the menu to include pizza, pasta, sandwiches, wraps, steak, ribs, seafood, chicken, pork chops and 16 kinds of burgers. And sure, you can find Greek dishes like spanakopita, gyros made four different ways, Greek chicken and salad, filet and chicken souvlaki and Opaa! Shrimp.
“We have 10 places to manage but we care for our customers a lot,” Karas said. “We watch the trends and make what our customers want.”
About the owners: The Karas family, headed by brothers George and Paul, own four The Village Squire restaurants in South Elgin, Crystal Lake, Dundee and McHenry; four Rookies All-American Pub and Grill in Elgin, Hoffman Estates, Huntley and St. Charles; and two Alexander’s Cafes in Elgin and St. Charles. Other family members in the business are Bob Karas, his sisters Despina Karas and Eleni Karavasis, their husbands Yoti Sampanidis and George Karavasis, cousin Aleko Karas and partners Nick Smith and Mike Maridis. “There usually is a family member at each restaurant,” Bob Karas said.
Philosophy: “Take care of the customer, give them good food, good value and cleanliness,” Karas said. “So it’s simple, but it’s a tough business.”
Decor: All of the Village Squire restaurants are castles. “They have an intricate design and rooms and bricks. It’s not like Rookies where you throw a bunch of TVs and jerseys on the wall,” Karas said.
Specialties: “Saganaki is what people come for,” Karas said.
We’re different because: “A customer would answer this better. We’re not the fanciest, we’re not cheap. We maintain our regular food and good prices,” Karas said. “We have good food and a family atmosphere.”
Price range: Appetizers from $7.49 to $19.99. Soup and salad from $3.99 to $13.99. Light meals from $8.49 to $12.99. Sandwiches from $8.99 to $13.99. Panzerottis are $8.99 to $9.99. Village burgers from $8.99 to $12.99. Village chicken sandwiches are $9.79 and $9.99. Squire pizza from $12.99 to $24.99. Wraps from $8.99 to $9.79. Paninis from $8.99 to $9.79. Pastas from $9.99 to $14.99. Dinners from $12.99 to $21.99. Sides from $1.99 to $4.99. Desserts are $3.99 and $5.99.
Logistics: The Village Squire is at 480 Randall Road, South Elgin. Hours are 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday. Contact 847-931-0400 or thevillagesquire.com/southelgin.html
More Top Picks Best At Home Cholesterol Test Kits
.Shonda Talerico Dudlicek is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.