Panera, mattress store to replace Tilted Kilt in Vernon Hills
A familiar restaurant locale along Milwaukee Avenue in Vernon Hills will be torn down and replaced with new users.
Shorewood Development Group of Buffalo Grove has informal approval to demolish a vacant free-standing building at 447 N. Milwaukee Ave. It most recently housed the Tilted Kilt restaurant.
An outlot of the Marketplace at Vernon Hills shopping area, the 20-year-old structure just east of Milwaukee Avenue was the home of Max and Erma's restaurant for most of that time.
Shorewood is proposing to build a two-tenant building to be occupied by a Panera Bread restaurant with a drive-through, and an American Mattress store.
“We changed the configuration completely,” said Dan Angspatt, vice president of engineering for Shorewood. “Our original plan was attempting to re-use the building but it didn't make sense.”
Shorewood has received preliminary approvals throughout the review process. On Tuesday, it is expected to receive the final OK from the village board to allow for construction of a multi-tenant building with a restaurant drive through.
Panera will relocate from the Hawthorn Square shopping area, where it does not have a drive through. The company has been pursuing that option the past few years, Angspatt said.
The existing building is 7,355 square feet, while the new one will be 8,081 square feet. Shorewood has applied for a demolition permit.
“Our desire is to start construction as soon as we get out of the building permit review,” he said. “We're hoping to break ground in September.”
Angspatt said the work will include increased landscaping, upgraded lighting, and a new parking lot.
“Overall, it will be a nice, upgraded project from the old Tilted Kilt,” he said.
The village board at its regular meeting beginning at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the village hall, 290 Evergreen Drive, also will consider two other restaurant- related requests.
The first request is to operate outdoor dining for Charm's at 906 Route 45. The owners intend to remove a vinyl covering and an outdoor fire place and use the patio for nine tables with a seating capacity of 36.
Charm's wants to install a decorative fence around the outdoor dining area and paint the exterior beige with dark brown trim. The village board gave its informal approval Aug. 5.
The village board that day also gave informal approval for facade renovations and landscaping for the former Famous Dave's Barbeque at 99 Townline Road. The plan is to divide the space into a breakfast/lunch establishment on the north half and restaurant/bar on the south. Improvements include installation of burgundy awnings and exterior paint. Final approval is expected Tuesday pending a board review of a color sample board.
Business owners in Vernon Hills are required to get approval before opening an outdoor establishment. Approval also is needed for exterior facade changes to commercial buildings.