Tap House Grill grows in the suburbs
An interview with Scott Ward and Mark Zych, co-owners of Tap House Grills.
Q: Tell us about how the business started and its growth.
A: The first Tap House Grill opened Nov. 11, 2006. There are currently nine restaurants in Illinois, including Westmont and Oswego. We opened Plainfield in March 2011. Lemont opened in December 2012, Des Plaines in November 2013. The newest location in Palatine in the former Mia Cucina building on Wilson Street opened July 2014 and is our largest location at 8,000 square feet, with seating of 300. It was a 2-year project in the making with total costs just over $1,500,000. This site is our flagship location and also houses our corporate offices, and all manager training is completed on site as well as research and development of products for all the restaurants. We also have 2 licensed location — Highwood and Glen Ellyn.
Q: Describe your business.
A: We operate neighborhood restaurants and bars with a beer infused menu, a creative and vast selection of craft beer on tap served by knowledgeable, friendly people in a warm and energetic atmosphere. Then repeating this formula open to close 7 days a week in 9 locations.
Q: What made you start your business?
A: In 2002, while COO of Bar Louie, I noticed the demand for draft/craft beer was on the rise. At Bar Louie we started installing 24 and 30 tap handle draft systems in the new locations, and while on the road doing all these openings, I saw first hand all the craft beer brewery's open and opening. It was blowing up. I always knew after growing and developing numerous other concepts for different owners, that I would do my own concept some day.
During 2005, the owners of Bar Louie had confided in me on their exit strategy plans with Bar Louie. That is when I started to refine the concept and in more detail.
Q: What has been the most difficult obstacle in running or starting a small business?
A: Money & talented people with personality. No banks will give new restaurants/start ups any money and talented people are afraid to jump ship to a new venture. We were however able to persuade some ex Bar Louie employee's to join us — this helped tremendously as we created our “culture.”
Q: What do you enjoy most about operating your business?
A: People & the Passion. The guests, our employees, our vendors. Our guests and staff are very passionate about numerous food items and our craft beer.
Q: Is this what you pictured yourself doing when you were young?
A: I had thought at one point I would have been an accountant or a teacher (now I do both.) When I was 14, my first job was in this business, at Alferno's Pub, I was a busboy at a pizza place and loved it. After my first bartending job and then also throwing a couple keg party's when I was 20/21 years old (and made money doing it) — I fell in love with the industry, and always knew I would own my own bar at some point in time.
Q: What keeps you up at night?
A: Money, people/talent.
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Tap House Grill
Corporate address: 58 W. Wilson St., Palatine
Owners: Scott Ward, Mark Zych
Web address: taphousegrills.com