Pasquale's to open Dec. 1 in East Dundee

The Italian eatery Pasquale's, which will serve pizza, sandwiches and salads, is slated to open Dec. 1 in the space formerly occupied by In The Neighborhood Meet Market in East Dundee.

Pasquale's owners, Robert "Buzz" Doyle and Patrick Maggi, also own Blues BBQ and Grill, which opened in mid-October, and Sweet Pop Fizz Candy Bar, which opened in May, all in East Dundee.

Those buildings, including Pasquale's at 310 N. River St., are owned by Tom Roeser of Otto Engineering in Carpentersville.

Although winter is not the best time to launch a new eatery, Doyle said, he just had to seize the opportunity when he found out ITN would close in late October.

This is the right time to invest in downtown East Dundee, whose leaders have the "right vision" for the future, he said.

"They truly look for ways to be able to tell you 'yes' if you have an idea or you want to do something," he said. "It's been probably the best municipality I've ever worked with."

Doyle and Maggi also owned a Pasquale's in Palatine, but closed it in October 2013 after deciding it wasn't the right location, Doyle said.

"We had several different issues, mostly it had a parking lot issue," he said.

"(In East Dundee) it's a completely different demographic. It's a downtown area versus more of a suburban area. It's just a completely different feel to the restaurant."

Doyle, who lives in Oak Park, and Maggi, who lives in Maryland, also operate the original Pasquale's in Damascus, Maryland, and the original Blues BBQ and Grill in Roanoke, Virginia.