Buffalo Restaurant reopening under previous ownership

The Buffalo Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor in Buffalo Grove is reopening this weekend under old management.

Chris Papaioannou and his father, John Papaioannou, are resuming control of the restaurant they operated until a few years ago and hope to be serving patrons again by Saturday with an expanded menu.

"We want to get the business back in here," Chris Papaioannou said.

The eatery has a rich history dating back to the early 1900s, when its original incarnation opened in Chicago.

The Papaioannou family took over the establishment at 1180 W. Lake-Cook Road in 2009, when the country was still reeling from the impact of the Great Recession.

The economy notwithstanding, the restaurant thrived.

Then, after nearly five years, the family leased to new owners.

The new ownership, however, could not sustain their success, and the business closed Sunday night.

Almost overnight, the Papaioannou family began gearing up to reopen, working long hours to prepare.

The restaurant is undergoing a complete makeover, including painting, remodeling the kitchen, installing new equipment, redoing the landscaping, revamping the dining room and replacing booths.

Papaioannou said he is aiming to create an atmosphere where families can stop in and have a danish or a lox sandwich.

He said the menu will have more choices, such as classic matzo ball soup, a smoked whitefish platter, a gefilte fish platter, tuna salad, chicken salad and more.

"I've been in this business long enough to know where to go get it," he said.

"Everything that we're bringing into the kitchen is going to be of the highest quality. We're not playing any games."