advertisement

Durty Nellie's will serve food from nearby restaurants as repairs continue

Struck by a fire last month, Durty Nellie's in downtown Palatine will meet a liquor license requirement by serving food brought in from some nearby restaurants when it reopens as kitchen repairs continue, according to a deal approved by the village.

Durty Nellie's received a liquor license amendment to get around the food-service provision, which allows it to reopen sooner than if the popular establishment had to wait until the kitchen was fully operational. Village Manager Reid Ottesen said the "unique" arrangement for Durty Nellie's will last until its 2018-19 liquor license expires June 30.

Village councilmen and Palatine Mayor Jim Schwantz, sitting as the liquor commission, approved the amendment Monday night.

"I appreciate, certainly, all the flexibility on this," Schwantz said. "We certainly want to see this thing come back stronger than ever, Durty Nellie's. Establishments downtown helping each other out shows the uniqueness of what we have downtown, which is awesome."

Citing water and other damage more extensive than initially believed, Durty Nellie's has canceled or rescheduled all shows and events until March 9. When Durty Nellie's reopens, the main-floor bar area, the mezzanine and band room will be available to patrons while the extensive kitchen reconstruction continues.

Durty Nellie's will meet Palatine's food-service requirement by letting patrons order off menus from JL's Pizza and Sports Bar and Lamplighter Inn Tavern and Grille. Durty Nellie's employees will get the food from the nearby businesses and bring it back to the customers.

Durty Nellie's will sell frozen pizzas, prepared in a commercial-grade oven, during limited hours when food is unavailable from the two downtown businesses that are part of the agreement.

"The outpouring of support has been phenomenal," co-owner James Dolezal said outside the village council chambers Monday. "It really kind of re-instills your faith. Man, it's been unbelievable."

Officials said the Jan. 25 blaze started in the kitchen and was fueled by natural gas. Cooks and bar cleaning employees were evacuated unharmed from the building at 180 N. Smith St.

Durty Nellie's main pub area, which sustained water and smoke damage, is being renovated. The work includes replacing the bar, floor, beverage service lines and televisions.

Some problems have been encountered in the effort to reopen as fast as possible, including an unexpected stoppage on the repair work and the shutdown of utilities when the recent deep freeze hit.

"We're trying our hardest to open up," Dolezal said. "Everything is timing. A lot of tedious things have to be done. It's taking a lot longer than we had anticipated. It's kind of disappointing, but I think at the end of the day it'll be better and stronger, I hope, after that."

Even if it doesn't open in time for the downtown Palatine St. Patrick's Day festivities March 16, Dolezal said, Durty Nellie's will remain the parade's presenting sponsor and likely host the annual Irish Market elsewhere.

Durty Nellie's in Palatine shuttered by fire

Durty Nellie's Temporarily Closes Due to Kitchen Fire

Durty Nellie's aims to reopen in 2 weeks

The Soapbox: Daily Herald editors offer brief thoughts on suburban topics in the news.

Durty Nellie's moving closer to reopening after fire

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.