Batavia restaurateur eyes Glen Ellyn's Schmid store

A Glen Ellyn building that once housed a gift shop known for its homemade fudge has attracted a prospective buyer who hopes to convert the vacant site into a microbrewery and restaurant.

After 44 years in business, the family-owned Schmid store closed in 2011 after serving as a downtown fixture and popular after-school employer for local teens.

Developers hope to renovate the building and reopen it in early fall, pending the sale and village permitting, says Jon With, a managing partner in the new microbrewery.

"It's going to be a nice, warm atmosphere," With said Wednesday. "Glen Ellyn is one of those towns where people are used to the sophistication of the city, but at the same time they're raising their families."

With is a longtime restaurateur behind Gammon Coach House in Batavia and an investor in dining spots around the Tri-Cities. His latest project will feature a "farm-to-table" menu with up to a dozen rotating craft beers brewed on-site. And diners will be able to tap into suds from other Chicago-area breweries.

"We're also concentrating on great craft cocktails," With said.

After three years of eying the Pennsylvania Avenue building, With said he finally decided to pull the trigger and put together a concept, drawn to what he says is a tight-knit downtown. He hopes to unveil the plans before village commissions in the "near future."

At 6,200 square feet, the building would be equipped to handle a larger operation than the now-closed Glen Ellyn Brewing Company, formerly housed in a corner space on Main Street.

The contract for the sale of the property is expected to be finalized in March or April, said Tony Stefancic, the real estate agent representing the Schmid family. The last asking price was $799,000.

"They're a solid buyer," Stefancic said of With and his business partners. "They have a good business plan."

Before Ted and Florence Schmid opened their namesake pharmacy there in the late 1970s, it was home to McChesney & Miller, a former grocery store that would move just south.

The interior needs a "lot of work," but Stefancic called the building structurally sound.

"It's not only a landmark, but it's a well-constructed building," Stefancic said. "All of the various architects and general contractors that have looked at the building find it structurally well-supported, and it's going to be very interesting to see what they're able to do."