Elgin's Porter's Pub open to all, city emphasizes

Porter's Pub will continue operating on an Elgin-owned golf course for four more years as city officials and the pub's operator keep spreading the word that the pub is open to all, not just golfers.

Joe Carlucci of Chicago, who has operated Porter's Pub at 1250 Bowes Creek Road at Bowes Creek Country Club since 2012, said he's tried to combat the misconception that the pub is on a private country club via its website and marketing. "It's an image that we constantly fight and try to work our way through. We most welcome anybody that's part of the public," he said.

The city council this week unanimously approved a new, four-year agreement with Carlucci that states the city will get 5 percent of all pub revenues exceeding $1.1 million per year.

A previous version of the agreement had put that threshold at $1.2 million, but city council members had pushed for renegotiating the amount.

In turn, Carlucci was granted one more year of operations, initially set at three years.

"We are trying to be good corporate citizens," Carlucci said. "It is our intention to make the 19th hole as memorable as the other 18."

Councilman Rich Dunne said he would have liked to seek bids for the operation, but also praised Carlucci for "turning around" the pub after he took over from the previous operator.

Carlucci "has been a first-class vendor," City Manager Sean Stegall said.

Council members got a complaint from a patron who said the pub was closed during early golfing hours on at least one occasion. Carlucci called the complaint "perplexing," saying he communicates with the city's director of golf operations regarding such matters.

Councilwoman Tish Powell called it a "beautiful facility" and asked city staff to ensure there is proper monitoring of its operations.

"If you'd like, I can spend an enormous amount of time at Bowes Creek to personally monitor that," joked Stegall, who is an avid golfer.

The concept of Porter's Pub is "a friendly neighborhood pub," Carlucci said.

It offers more than 90 craft beers, rotating beers on tap, and a "comfortable" menu with American, Asian, Italian and Mexican touches, he said.

"The golfers are great, but we're in business for the city of Elgin 12 months a year," he said.