New restaurant with familiar owners coming to downtown Wauconda
A new restaurant with familiar owners is coming to downtown Wauconda.
The Green Goat will fill the space at 203 S. Main St. that had been home to Frank's Karma Cafe until it closed in December.
The folks behind the Green Goat - Joe Kafka, Aaron Aggarwal, Jeff Middleton and Brian Middleton - are the co-owners of Middleton's on Main, a pub-style eatery at 110 S. Main St.
Kafka and Aggarwal also own Bulldogs Grill, a more casual joint at 122 S. Main St.
Kafka and his partners are aiming for a March 27 opening for the Green Goat. The menu will include sandwiches, soups, salads and smoothies.
"We will offer up to four soups made in house each day (and) approximately 15 different sandwich options," Kafka said.
The Green Goat also will sell pantry items such as spices, sauces and mixes and some produce.
"Our goal is to offer some more healthy options and to help expand our customers' knowledge of food, its sourcing and its quality," Kafka said.
Aggarwal, a chef, is planning monthly cooking classes, too.
Kafka isn't worried about the Goat stealing customers from the other restaurants he and his partners own. He considers the new venture an additional option for hungry people, not a substitute.
"We have realized over the years that there is a thriving customer base in the area," Kafka said. "The concepts are far enough apart, the overlap should be minimal."
Frank's Karma Cafe had served sandwiches and pastries to customers on Main Street for about 10 years. Previously a restaurant called Deli at 203 operated in the space.
Frank's closure left a culinary gap on Main Street, Kafka said.
"We simply hope to fill that void," he said.
Main Street has become a great destination for Wauconda-area food lovers. Popular spots on or near Main include a boutique meat-and-cheese shop called Legacy 1878 that opened in January, the Honey Hill Coffee Co., the Slyce Coal Fired Pizza Co., Side Lot Brewery and Lindy's Landing.
Village Administrator Doug Maxeiner said the confidence the Green Goat's owners are showing in Wauconda mirrors that of the Barth family, which owns Lindy's Slyce and Side Lot Brewery.
"Wauconda is fortunate to have business owners of this caliber willing to reinvest in the community," Maxeiner said. "I extend my thanks and best wishes to the Green Goat on their new venture."