New Moretti's to open by spring in Rosemont
The Schaumburg-based restaurant group that operates the chain of Moretti's restaurants throughout the suburbs is bringing its newest location to Rosemont, and paying the village $3.4 million to buy the strip mall where the eatery will be built.
Officials from Ala Carte Entertainment had already received village approvals to open a new restaurant inside three existing storefronts within the village-owned plaza at 9515-9519 W. Higgins Road. But further negotiations over the past few months led to Ala Carte's interest in buying the entire strip mall, which includes the Donald E. Stephens Museum of Hummels, Rosemont Chamber of Commerce, 7-Eleven, Subway, a dry cleaners, liquor store and hair salon.
The village board approved a sales agreement with Ala Carte on Wednesday.
Ala Carte “had extra money and wanted to buy the whole center,” Mayor Brad Stephens said.
Once the ink is dry on the contract, Ala Carte plans to demolish about 30 percent of the strip mall building — primarily the three vacant storefronts on the west side of building — to make room for a stand-alone Moretti's restaurant, Stephens said.
Those storefronts formerly housed Abruzzi Restaurant & Lounge, a hair salon and day spa, which have since relocated.
The village will become a tenant within the shopping center, leasing the museum space and chamber offices from Ala Carte.
The agreement stipulates that the village will cover a portion of property taxes for the building over the course of the next three years.
Moretti's, known for its pizza and other Italian and American fare, currently has locations in Schaumburg, Mount Prospect, Bartlett, Fox Lake, Lake in the Hills and Chicago's Edison Park neighborhood, with plans to open another location by fall in Hoffman Estates.
The Rosemont restaurant is targeted to open by spring.