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For second time this year, East Dundee seeks proposals for caboose tenant

East Dundee officials are restarting their search for a unique and potentially long-term tenant to operate out of the village-owned caboose concession stand.

For the second time in less than a year, the village is seeking proposals from food vendors whose concept wouldn't conflict with nearby restaurants in the downtown district, Village Administrator Jennifer Johnsen said. The chosen operator of the caboose at 112 Railroad St. would ideally commit to maintaining a regular schedule from April through September - including during village events - for at least two years, she said.

"They're going to have to create themselves as a destination, and that's really what we're trying to do with the entire downtown," Johnsen said. "The caboose is supposed to be kind of a tourist attraction."

Owners of Butcher on the Block, the caboose's last tenant, bowed out of their two-year concessionaire's license in September, saying they could not keep up with the operations there and at their newly expanded shop in Lake in the Hills. The deli and meat market was chosen out of four applicants earlier this year.

This time around, Johnsen said, officials are keeping an eye out for owner-operator tenants - businesses with leaders that can devote time to running the caboose, rather than having to increase staffing costs. They'll also be looking for applicants with strong advertising plans, she said.

"The next operator will have to do even more to try to make a name for the caboose through marketing and social media," Johnsen said.

The new tenant would be expected to pay the village a minimum of 10 percent of gross sales as its monthly rent, according to the request for proposals. Between funding its water and sewer expenses, as well as some maintenance obligations, the village does not make a profit on the caboose, Johnsen said.

The caboose has operated seasonally as a concession stand since May 2015. Butcher on the Block took over its operations this past spring after the village decided against extending an agreement with the prior tenant, Dundee Depot Dogs.

Applications are due to the village by 4 p.m. Dec. 22, at which point a selection committee will evaluate the plans and interview potential tenants. The village board would have to vote on a license agreement with the new business, which will likely be chosen in February.

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