Restaurant, microbrewery preparing to open in Glen Ellyn's Schmid store

Jon With prefers the "classics."

His new restaurant and microbrewery, Two Hound Red, is preparing to open in downtown Glen Ellyn next year, pending village approvals. And while the brewery will make its own seasonal beers, the focus is on "very approachable" - and very drinkable - suds.

"We want to have a really nice, healthy menu in addition to doing a lot of very classic beers," said With, a partner in the restaurant.

Village planners are reviewing the proposed project to renovate the former Schmid gift shop, a popular spot for homemade fudge and stationery. The family-owned store closed in 2011 after 44 years in business and has remained vacant since at 486 Pennsylvania Ave.

With plans to turn the 6,200-square-foot building into a spacious restaurant where diners could look into a kitchen with chefs who will use "really fresh" ingredients that also keep in mind gluten allergies. He calls it a "family-friendly" dining room, separate from the bar, with no high-top tables.

The microbrewery would produce eight types of beer for the restaurant, including lagers, pilsners and IPAs. Next year around this time, Two Hound Red would serve an Oktoberfest beer among its seasonal offerings.

So what if you're not a beer drinker?

"We're going to have an extensive cocktail list," With said.

Instead of constructing an outdoor patio that would encroach into a parking lot, With and his partners "got creative" and have designed a rooftop deck for the rear of the building.

It's that flexibility that With has honed over a long career in the business. He's invested in restaurants around Kane County and owns the Gammon Coach House in Batavia, also known for a lengthy menu of craft beers.

In Glen Ellyn, With hopes to start remodeling the Schmid store in about a month if the village gives the green light. Two Hound Red then could open in March 2017.

"I don't like to quit on anything," he said. "We just felt like it was a great location."