Portillo's in Elgin is still possible
Many of you die-hard Portillo's Hot Dogs fans have been calling and e-mailing, wondering if owner Dick Portillo still is planning to open a restaurant along Randall Road.
The answer is yes, but the location still is up in the air.
However, Portillo's marketing and advertising coordinator Patty Sullivan said the search has been narrowed.
It looks like the site at the intersection of Randall and Bowes roads in Elgin is off the table, at least for now.
"Mr. Portillo loved one particular site at Bowes and Randall Road; however, the county has forced high impact fees on the development which makes it prohibitive for us and most other businesses to build there," Sullivan said.
However, they still are looking at two other locations in Elgin for a Portillo's Hot Dogs.
One is just north of Bowes and Randall, and the other is near I-90 and Randall, Sullivan said.
"We will continue to explore various sites in the Elgin area and will make the decision that is most economically feasible for the company," Sullivan said.
School's in: Primrose Schools is planning to open a new location along Randall Road in Algonquin's new Esplanade development at the corner of Randall and Corporate Parkway.
The 11,000-square-foot school will be the first of eight planned Primrose Schools to open in the Chicagoland area over the next five years.
The private school will offer programs for infants through kindergarten, and after-school care, all with an accredited balanced learning curriculum.
The school is expected to open in the fall of 2009.
Get ready to shop: Algonquin Commons along Randall Road already has plans under way for shopping the day after Thanksgiving.
The mall will open at 6 a.m., with totes passed out to the first 1,000 customers.
There also will be plenty of giveaways, so plan your shopping strategy now.
Amy Williams' column covers all the news of business along the Randall Road corridor from South Elgin to Crystal Lake. Contact her at randallbiz@comcast.net or at (847) 894-5036.