Greek restaurant proposed to replace Lake Zurich hot dog place

A downtown Lake Zurich property at Old Rand Road and Main Street that has been the longtime home of a hot dog restaurant may be going in a new direction.

Lake Zurich trustees Monday night will be asked to approve a lease transfer for a village-owned building occupied by Delicious Redds. Village documents show a Greek-style restaurant, Craving Gyros, would replace Delicious Redds.

Craving Gyros owner Bill Koliopoulos could not be reached for comment Friday. Village documents state Craving Gyros is expected to be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and would not sell alcohol.

Robert Narcisi, who owns DiPiero's Pizzeria and Ristorante in downtown Lake Zurich, started Delicious Redds at 2 E. Main St. in 2009. Narcisi declined to comment Friday.

Under the proposal, Craving Gyros would pay $900 in monthly rent to the village in the first of a five-year revised lease slated to begin Aug. 1. Rent for Craving Gyros is supposed to escalate annually and reach $1,000 per month in the fifth year, documents show.

"Minor renovations of the property may result in a temporary closure, with a grand opening of Craving Gyros expected by the end of August," Lake Zurich management analyst Kyle Kordell wrote in a memo.

Lake Zurich has acquired several buildings as part of a long-stalled attempt to revitalize downtown. Last year, village officials agreed to raise rents on the properties, in part, because there had not been adjustments for about nine years.

Before Delicious Redds opened, Main Dog was at 2 E. Main for about 40 years. Arthur Palenscar was the last owner of Main Dog.

Long before the hot dog eateries came on the scene, Fred Blau, who was known to be called Mr. Lake Zurich, had a barber shop on the northeast corner of Old Rand and Main Street in the early 1900s, according to "A Pictorial History of Ela Township." The 2 E. Main Street site also is where Ela Township settler Seth Paine built a store in 1850.