Upscale deli/sandwich shop could be coming to Lake in the Hills
Lake in the Hills village officials are considering a proposal for an upscale deli/sandwich shop.
Champaign-based Lucky Penny's is proposing to open shop in a 3,200-square-foot space within the Acorn Plaza strip mall, 421 N. Randall Road, next to Ace Hardware.
Restaurateur Jeffery Rehberger is seeking a liquor license to serve local craft beer and wine, as well as a video gambling license.
"Lucky Penny's will be enforcing a four-drink minimum policy to help control the crowd and maintain a safe environment for all of our patrons," Rehberger wrote in a letter to Village President Paul Mulcahy.
Lucky Penny's is named after its signature bar, which has more than 50,000 pennies laid underneath a glass surface.
The proposal includes a "nice service bar with plenty of sit down places for sandwiches," Village Administrator Gerald Sagona said.
The restaurant would have seating for 60 people and carryout service. Each Lucky Penny's signature deli sandwich comes with a pound of meat and cheeses. It also offers specialty wines from vineyards from Napa to New Zealand, according to documents.
Food and beverage sales would make up 65 percent of the restaurant's revenue, with gambling comprising the remainder, according to documents.
Sagona said village board members have said they want more restaurants in town versus "just places to come in and gamble and have a soda pop."
The village board will review the owner's requests for liquor and gambling licenses at a later date.
Proliferation of video gambling has been a concern for some board members who say they don't want the village to turn into "Las Vegas" with a lot of glaring exterior signs.
Currently, there are eight establishments in town that collectively operate 34 video gambling terminals that have generated $128,991 in revenue for the village between January 2015 and February 2016.
The Illinois Gaming Board limits businesses to five video gambling terminals per establishment. Gambling areas also must be partitioned or separated from the main area of the establishment, if anyone younger than 21 is allowed inside. Video gambling machines also are allowed to operate only during hours when alcohol is served for consumption on premises.
As a home rule community, Lake in the Hills has the ability to impose restrictions more stringent than state law.
Some municipalities have implemented "video gaming establishment licenses" with fees, which would have to be acquired before applying for terminal licenses.
Lake in the Hills officials are considering increasing video gambling terminal fees to match neighboring Algonquin. Currently, Lake in the Hills charges $100 per machine annually, while Algonquin charges $500 per machine, Sagona said.
Typically, towns cite the need to increase fees to cover expenses incurred for police response to incidents, administrative costs for reviewing and approving licenses, and code enforcement inspections to ensure compliance.